Moments In Time
by AppleL0V3R
Summary: Drabble Collection. 500 Short crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving moments between Itachi and Sakura. Complete.
1. One through Twenty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** One – One through Twenty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 2,664

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

1. Love (Itachi)

He loved her for so many reasons. So bright and supportive. She took nothing for granted, and treasured everything.

But for the same reasons he loved her, he found he hated her for them too. She was everything he could never be. And the traits he did share would only be his downfall, some already screwed up his life. Like loyalty.

So he found himself between love and hate for this slip of a girl who'd paraded her way into his life like she owned it. And he didn't know what to do, sometimes it was obvious other times it kept him up for hours with questions – such simple questions – that he could never answer.

How Uchiha, Itachi hated her. How he loved Haruno, Sakura.

2. Touch (Sakura)

His touch was feather-light; like he was afraid she would break. She wouldn't. He was the one with a chronic incurable disease. Not her. He was the one losing his eyesight at an alarming rate. Not her. So why be so gentle when everything about him was jagged in one way or another?

"Blossom." She almost didn't hear him. And she wouldn't have, had he not had his lips pressed against her ear.

"Love?" How was it she could hardly feel him when he was completely wrapped around her?

He shook his head.

"You can hold tighter."

A corner of his mouth lifted and he squeezed, but he didn't hold tighter.

She shook her head, quietly laughing. At least he'd always be here. Beside her.

3. Sex (Itachi)

Itachi watched his bed partner with half-lidded dark eyes. Seeing her next to him – feeling her curled around him with her face in his neck, hand on his chest, one leg in between his – left quite the exquisite feeling. And he loved it. He knew what their position meant to the both of them. Now she was officially his and she couldn't back out. Not that she would, but the woman was so painfully shy and naïve in such matters that she'd land herself in a mess much like she had the night before. Which had lead to the activities between them, so he didn't mind much. She shifted closer, nuzzling his neck and sighed contentedly.

He could definitely get used to this.

4. Kiss (Sakura)

How had this happened?

One moment she was ranting at the idiotic, insufferable man and the next he was kissing her. Not to say she didn't like the feel of it. But damn it, he'd pissed her off – like he had a knack for doing – and now he was kissing her. Probably just to make her shut up.

Eyes narrowing, she yanked away before she was swept away like she was wont to be. "Do you get off on this?"

Dark eyes stared back, amusement evident in every part of him "On what?"

"Ticking me off just so you can kiss me stupid." It was like he thought he could get away with anything!

"Yes." And he was kissing her again.

Okay, maybe he could.

5. First Kiss (Itachi)

Sakura was the type of girl who fantasized about her first kiss. Itachi had concluded that easily considering she told him all her fantasies since they're first conversation.

She had been hurrying down a staircase at school; he was at the bottom of it waiting for his brother since school was out for the weekend. She slipped and fell, crashing it him and marginally missing his lips.

Ever since, they had been joined at the hip. To the point that she'd call at two A.M. – 'to hear him breathe' in her words – and say nothing. They'd come to this point gradually, what with his caution and her busy schedule.

At some point he started writing her fantasies down.

All that's left was to fulfill them.

6. Adore (Sakura)

It was easy to be in awe of him, to be intimidated by him. He was after all a prodigy, and seeing that fast tactician mind of his at work as well as some portion of his skill did not help matters. But that was to be expected. After all, she was talented in her own right, the best medic in all five nations barring her sensei.

So it only made sense that most would shy from and shun him. She didn't want to though, she'd gotten to see a different part of him from the get go. Being one's doctor held that advantage. She had seen him at his weakest, and his strongest. And she found she felt not inferiority, but adoration and camaraderie.

7. Orgy (Itachi)

As the Uchiha clan heir, Itachi was never allowed to indulge in anything that could potentially distract him, this included a whole slew of things. But one that wasn't one was women – specifically finding a wife.

By the time he was sixteen they were pushing him to marry and at first he wanted to push back, necessary or not. But he'd already found a spouse and he would take no other, never mind that she was hardly more than his nurse. That fact was easily rectifiable and he did so within a few short months. But instead of having her enraptured he found himself prone to overindulging in her. He was wrapped around her little finger without her knowledge. Not that he minded of course.

8. Lick (Sakura)

Sakura was a bold individual, but also shy depending on the situation. And right now, she was definitely shy. In fact she was confounded, blushing and it was completely not her fault. It was his. He was the stranger – he was Sasuke's brother, but she didn't know him well and therefore a stranger – who decided to grab her hand and lick her fingers of the powdery substance on them. Sure they were in a secluded clearing by themselves, but what the hell?

And before she could react properly he leaned over and licked the corner of her mouth, humming as he pulled back.

She froze.

Amusedly he told her. "You look cute like that."

And sputtered.

Too dark eyes, "I think I like you."

What?

9. Kinky (Itachi)

"I bet you, that boyfriend of yours gets off on more then a little bit of kinky."

Sakura blushed, "Ino!"

And he had to restrain himself from showing just how kinky he could be.

Ino grinned. "What? You know I'm right."

"I don't see how it's any of your business." She didn't deny either statement though and because of it he couldn't help the feeling that welled inside.

Blue eyes glinted wickedly. "You didn't say he wasn't your boyfriend."

The rosette froze in her tracks. Squeaking out a: "So?"

"And girl code makes it my business."

His little spitfire scowled.

Unable to stop himself, Itachi swooped in, pulling her into him before teleporting to her bedroom. "What was that about kinky?"

Emerald eyes wide open.

10. Suffer (Sakura)

Thirteen: Heard of him. Hate him.

Fifteen: Seen him. A little less hatred towards him.

Seventeen: Met him. Don't know how to feel about him.

Nineteen: Know him. Love him.

Twenty-one: Married to him. Will always love him.

Twenty-three: Has children with him. Can't live without him.

Within ten years she'd changed so much, because of him. She knew she affected him, too. When she wanted him to suffer, he didn't know she existed. When they came face-to-face, she didn't catch his eye. When they'd met she wanted to hate him but he made it so hard and she intrigued him. When she loved him, he'd been pushing her to realization. When they wedded, he would never allow her anyone else. When they had children he refused to lose her.

11. Lips (Itachi)

He watched her lips – cracked, dry – suck in air in uneven rhythms. One glance told him everything, a layer of sweat covering her body, flushed cheeks and she couldn't stay still. Sick. He'd left her side for a few days and returned to find her ill from mistreatment of her body. Dark eyes narrowed.

Part of him wanted to scold her for not taking proper care of herself; the other part knew he couldn't. After all, he was little more than her shadow, always there but never seen. He couldn't be seen, by her or anyone. And though he usually abided by the rules, when it came to her he was always right at the line.

But he would be there because she needed him.

12. Skin (Sakura)

She shivered feeling his hands ghosting up her bareback. This was how he greeted her sometimes, the sensation of too hot skin against hers. She loved it, but he did it merely to get under her skin. Admitting that it didn't might cease the habit. But she had also been on the verge of sleep that hadn't come in nearly a week. "What?" Irritation prominent.

Hot, amused, faded black – with touches of cobalt – eyes stared back. "I came to greet you good morning."

Her jaw dropped. It couldn't be later than four A.M. and she was exhausted. What the hell was his problem?

The amusement thickened. "And the couch isn't a place to sleep with your condition."

She was sooo getting him back for this!

13. Sacrifice (Itachi)

He'd given so much for those he loved. His whole world and then forced himself to suffer though life so that Sasuke could be a hero. He'd known ever since he was young that this was the path he would take. The one of loyalty and honor and sacrifice.

And then she came along. She was a giver as well, but a different sort. While he broke things, she fixed them. She walked the path of loyalty, compassion and humanity. Doing what she could and accepting what she couldn't change.

But she was stubborn as she was loyal. She gave him an alternative, gave him a second chance. She _was_ his second chance.

And she became the one thing he vowed to never give up.

14. Sin (Sakura)

Sin was a subjective term to Sakura. There were the religious, moral and ethical sins.

And then there were those against one's homeland that were named as treason.

Usually.

Loving the enemy for example was a sin, but not a crime.

And she was guilty on all accounts.

She shouldn't love him, for all the heinous acts he had committed no matter the reason. But she did. And there was no escaping that.

In her defense, it was all his fault. He was the one who had abducted her and then was all gentleman-like. He made her fall in love with him!

But in the end, she was in his bed watching him sleep. And she had violated the sin of irrevocably loving her enemy.

15. Cheat (Itachi)

Twenty-one and already his life was in ruins. Not by something like drugs, though. No, it was by loyalty to his heart and home. In some ways he felt cheated. But he'd been jaded of any real life from the get go anyway. He'd never had a life to give or a heart, it had died with his lover. Thinking about her always made his chest clench in agony. Pain and sorrow at not having been able to save her of such a fate.

That was why he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Sakura would be different; she would get everything he had to give. But she never took more than she gave.

And because of her he would have a life. A heart.

16. Lies (Sakura)

"You're lying."

Why'd he have to make this so damn hard? "No, I'm not." She wished it were true.

Sable eyes that were almost blue stared at her intently. She never had been able to lie, not really. But never could she lie to him, not because she didn't want to but because he'd always call her on it. He'd let so many slide, not once demanding the truth. This one though, he wouldn't. He held on tenaciously.

She knew she shouldn't want him to, but seeing his eyes so dark and intense, it wouldn't be long before she broke. He was the master of breaking people; it made sense that someone like her wouldn't be an exception. She had been, but…

"I don't love you."

17. Family (Itachi)

Blue-black eyes stared into bottle green. When she'd broken the news to him, he hadn't known how to react. But now, with two big eyes – as big as his mother's – staring right back already lit with fire and warmth, he knew. It made him proud. It made him happy.

It was just the two of them and this forbidden child in a dangerous place. This child's life would be hard, perhaps harder than Itachi's. But he would have the family that Itachi himself had not. Things would be different with this child. His child. Their child.

"He looks just like you." His unofficial wife murmured softly from him side. She should be resting. "What will his name be?"

He meet her gaze evenly, "Hiewa."

18. Temper (Sakura)

"Yeah? And that's my fault how?" Sakura growled at the infuriating male before her. Her day had already been going wrong as it was between her family, friends, make-shift family and even her job. Now this man – Uchiha, Itachi – she barely knew past the few passing greetings – one-sided on her part – had decided that today of all days he was going to push her over the edge.

He wasn't the kind of man someone in they're right mind would pick a fight with. But she was still in her early twenties and had always had a horrible temper that even Sasuke tended to take shelter from.

"I didn't say it was." His tone was calm and amused.

It pissed her off all the more.

19. Relief (Itachi)

How many times had been told no? Not a lot, but always when it counted. It was enough to make him the slightest insecure.

And it was peaking now.

Here he was, kneeling on one knee to the only person he'd ever willing allow so much control.

And he was about to change both they're lives.

Her eyes were wide as she stared down at him, hands over her mouth and ridged. Ridged and Sakura were not things that went together well. But he wasn't going to back down form this. "Will you, Haruno, Sakura, marry me?"

He should have learned by then – especially when she didn't hesitate to tackle him to the ground, shouting yes with so many kisses – that she'd never say no to him when it counted.

20. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

She couldn't help it; Sakura chuckled at the look on her boyfriend's face. "You replaced me…with a cat."

She shook her head, pink locks flying every where. "No, I just get lonely when you're gone for months at a time. So this was my solution. Besides, he's cute and reminds me of you."

He met her twinkling eyes warily, "Of me?" When she nodded earnestly, he began to look curious, setting next to her on the love seat. As soon as he was situated the pure black fur ball jumped into his lap and seemed content to stay there. "How so?" He placed a gloved hand on the cat's head causing it to purr.

"Well…you've always seemed…catlike…to me. Tiger-ish really." She answered and kissed him.


	2. Twenty One through Forty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Two – Twenty-One through Forty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** One-shot – Complete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 2,741

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #9 Kinky.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

21. Pride (Itachi)

Most saw Uchiha, Itachi as a prideful person. And to an extent he was, but if it was in any way unnecessary then he wouldn't waste time ridding himself of it.

Right now though, there couldn't be anyone prouder. He watched his sons and daughter practice together, still too young not to make a game of it shortly after. The first time they'd done this he'd almost stepped in until she stopped him "They're kids, let them play. It's the best way for them to learn quickly."

She was also a point of pride. She was everything he needed and wanted and then some. So bright and accomplished. A beautiful smile and a warm heart.

He hoped they're children would share some of those traits.

22. Prejudice (Sakura)

"How many times have you read that now?"

Sakura didn't miss a beat "Five, at least. Which makes this my sixth or so."

Itachi shook his head amusedly at his wife. She looked up then and, like she always did, she glanced down, shut the book and walked towards him. Not far, just skirting the coffee table that was the unfortunate victim of both workaholics' paperwork when brought home.

With a lazy smile, she placed the book on a stack of papers. Itachi knew just by a glance that it was the wrong place. Still, she circled her arms around his neck and propped on tiptoes, she kissed him.

As he kissed back there was a crash of papers and a hard thud.

Oh well.

23. Date (Itachi)

As the Uchiha clan heir, Itachi was well aware how marriages and potential life partner picking worked. Someone he didn't mind, someone submissive and supportive. It had seemed logical as a teenager. But as he watched his pink haired teammate joke with the other members of ANBU team thirteen, he realized it wasn't quite right. She didn't fit the standards he'd been advised and there was a good chance the clan would fight him on such a decision, but he found he didn't care.

No, what he cared about was that she'd declined his offer at marriage.

Her green eyes had twinkled, "Dating first, Itachi. But I can't any time soon, sorry."

He hadn't known what to think of it as their team snickered loudly.

24. Courage (Sakura)

She stared at the floor, aware of his presence. He was giving her a choice: help him – and become a traitor to her life and home – or don't – and face the probable death. Neither appealed to her especially and it wasn't like she was being given a lot of time to decide either.

No, she had until he chose for her. She'd been staring at the floor, seated on the edge of his bed where she was being kept for the time being, for nearly an hour now. Itachi was patient only when he wanted to be. And she was sure he didn't want to be now.

Closing her eyes, she opened her mouth. Whatever came out would decide her fate.

"Okay. I'll help you."

25. Passion (Itachi)

He watched with nothing short of amazement as life flickered back into her eyes. As she slowly picked up the pieces of herself and put them back together, squaring her shoulders and hardening her eyes. She hadn't gotten all the pieces, but if her display now was any constellation she would get them too soon enough.

Now he knew why Konoha had treasured and guarded this one kunoichi so heavily. She was strong and no matter how many times she was broken down she always got right back up again.

Perhaps a change in plans was in order. Breaking her as he had the others wouldn't work, so he'd build her up. If he gained her loyalty, perhaps he'd stand to gain so much more.

26. Emotion (Sakura)

Sakura stared at the broken body before her. She didn't know what the owner's name had been, what kind of person they had been. Only that they had been her enemy, only that she'd been ordered to take them down. Kill without mercy. She'd accomplished the first part of that. But here she stood over the corpse, not for the first time nor the last.

Emotion crept up and held on with a suffocating grip to her wind pipe and chest. Made it impossible to breathe, feeling numb and overloaded all at once.

A hand fell on her shoulder and she looked to the owner of it, soundlessly seeking his comfort. His mask offered nothing, and his arms didn't hold her.

But it was enough.

27. Hide (Itachi)

He'd been taught from young to stamp out all emotion, give no reaction. Be the perfect solider.

And he was certainly on the right track to be everything they wanted him to be. A puppet.

Then she came along, barely more than a toddler. But she more than made the difference when she'd curled up to him on that bench as if seeking a place to simply rest. He'd been there simply to get away from the chaos of his clan event.

He'd woken to her footsteps and breathing and stilled when she crawled over him. He didn't pull or push away, the contact comforting and easy to have. He had the urge to curl around her.

She became something he couldn't – wouldn't – hide from.

28. Hot (Sakura)

Sakura glared at the sand, kicking it with her boot. "Why the hell do deserts have to be so damn hot?"

"Because it's a sandy desert. Besides they're freezing at night." Itachi answered smoothly as if completely unaffected by the heat and his girlfriend's grumbling.

"Exactly! They should be more stable."

"Like Konoha?"

She threw him a dirty look.

He chuckled with a smirk, padding across the clearing they'd stopped at the night before, stopping beside her.

She met his eyes as he leaned down to kiss her.

His lips were hot, his touch scorching as gloved fingers swept across her cheek.

When he pulled back from their heated kiss, coldness rushed to take its place. She glared at him, "You did that on purpose."

29. Secret (Itachi)

"Itachi?" Sakura mumbled sleepily from his bed.

He looked back from the window sell he was seated on. "Yes?"

"Come back to bed. You can worry about what your parent's will say later."

He wasn't surprised that being more than half asleep and with no more than a glance she knew what was on his mind. Nodding, he rose. "You're right." They'd been keeping their relationship a secret so that the clan wouldn't be able to say anything about it. Not until he proposed to her.

As he had last night.

Now it was time to stop keeping quiet about it, Sasuke already knew. That would help at the meeting today.

It wouldn't be easy, but Sakura was right. Because for now, it could wait.

30. Sexy (Sakura)

The first time she saw him outside of his ANBU uniform, she'd had to remind herself to breathe. Certainly she knew that the Uchiha clan had a reputation for being unbelievably gorgeous. There was a time when she'd been gaga over her teammate for the very same reason. But she saw Sasuke on a regular bases and even – on the rare occasion – in nothing but boxers. So why did seeing Itachi in casual wear get her attention?

The first time she'd seen him shirtless on her table, she'd had to force herself to be professional. He wasn't just hot or handsome. He was sexy.

Now she knew why her nurses made such a big fuse over the two Uchiha brothers.

Thankfully, she didn't have to.

31. Lust (Itachi)

Few things had tempted Itachi, and none of them out of his reach. It didn't matter what it was, he could get his hands on it because he always got what he wanted.

Then she came along.

She'd caught his eye like no other. Strong and beautiful, quick witted and aware of both history and current events. True she wasn't the top of all these categories, but all her quirks more than made up for it.

But she wasn't his. And on most occasions he wouldn't mind, but she was exactly what he was looking for. And for the first time, what he wanted most was out of his reach. Because she refused to be his.

And that made him want her all the more.

32. I (Sakura)

"H is for Happy."

"Ino, this game is stupid."

"No, it's fun and it's distracting. This way we don't get bored of what's outside the car and fall asleep."

"Then, play it with yourself. I'm driving."

"Then it's not fun. Your turn."

Sigh. "Fine. I is for…Itachi."

Silence.

"Itachi? As in that totally hot senior?"

"Your turn."

"After you answer my question."

More silence. Huff. "Yes that Itachi."

Silence.

"What?"

"Why'd his name come to your head?"

Shrug.

"Why?"

"Because he's Sasuke's brother."

"Why?"

"Ino."

"Why?"

"Because…were dating?"

"Liar."

Sigh. "Why is that a lie?"

"Because it was a question."

"Okay fine, because I really _really_ like him."

"Why?"

"…it's a long story."

"Which you're going to tell me."

"Your turn."

"J is for Jury."

33. Orange (Itachi)

"I'm going to kill him. Or make him suffer severely first."

Itachi chuckled. Knowing exactly who the offending 'him' was. "You'd be miserable afterwards."

"Itachi. I'm _orange_." He nodded, still completely amused. But with her temper as high as it was, it would be best to let it play out. "Are you sure you don't want to…postpone the marriage?"

Then again, she didn't always think through everything that came out of her mouth. Immediately, he was next to her, pulling her to her feet from the chair she sat in. She was in a tank top and shorts. "No postponing. You can almost kill him later. Tonight. Enjoy yourself."

Her green eyes had widened before softening. Leaning up she kissed him, "Sounds like a plan."

34. Buy (Sakura)

"Can I help you, Sir?"

He seemed about to say no before nodding. Clueless. He was probably here because somebody else asked him to get something, or it was an event of somesort. Whatever it was, he was clearly out of his element.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" She hated playing the guessing game, why couldn't they just come up to her, ask the question and be done with it?

Again he nodded. "A guitar." She blinked. It was a music store, they had a whole wall of guitars.

"Anything in particular?" He was quiet. "Design, year, type?" She continued on in hopes of an answer of some kind.

"I'm not sure. Does it matter?"

Thanks. So much for an easy Sunday afternoon.

35. Emergency (Itachi)

Itachi had always been the type to plan ahead, leaving no room for failure. Or a state of emergency. And then he met her. She never completely planned things, there was always something unexpected happening to her. Hectic. And for once he was glad of his organizational ability.

One of the biggest things that he learned from her was that planning only went so far. Life throws in unseen bumps along the way all the time. Some are good. Some aren't. And some are emergencies no matter what.

Like this.

"You're pregnant?"

She smiled excitedly. "Isn't it great?"

He nodded, knowing he should have expected it. He'd married the woman who taught him that nothing always went according to plan and that surprises happened, after all.

36. Real (Sakura)

Sakura stared at the male before her, not really believing her eyes. Sure she'd always been a dreamer, but wasn't this a little over the top? Her whole body was frozen in place, instinct screaming to run. She couldn't. Something held her there. He didn't really feel human. Otherworldly, really. But dark to, not really sinister but like it. Demonic.

Again she felt the urge to flee, and again she found that she couldn't even inch back.

Was he doing this to her?

Dark eyes stared back at her, eyes filled with an emotion or fifty that she couldn't catch or name.

In a way, he felt familiar. But there was no way that could be, she would've remembered him. Wouldn't she?

"Hello, my bride."

37. Vampire (Itachi)

To say that Itachi was irritated would be an understatement. Somehow, Sasuke had gotten the okay to throw a large Halloween party in the Uchiha manor. And honestly, he wouldn't have given a damn, except his friends were out of the country and he didn't have in so much as a shred of work to do. And ultimately, no excuse to be absent from this event. Even most of the clan was present.

It was a waste of time.

Not to mention that if he saw another vampire costume he was going to murder someone. Perhaps his little brother, or one of said brother's friends.

"Hi, Itachi." He almost didn't pay the voice any mind simply because disappearing into the background wasn't working. But when he glanced, he saw a pink haired teen dressed as the after effect of a werewolf change.

Sakura.

Finally. Somebody to make this more bearable.

38. Unity (Sakura)

United we stand, divided we fall.

A simple strategy that most knew instinctively. She wished they had kept to it. When they'd finally found what could possibly be Akatsuki's lair, one of the three teams chosen to infiltrate had been team 7. It made sense of course, but they had decided with all the hallways to split up and if one of them found anything they would alert the others.

She'd run into Uchiha, Itachi. And realized that there was no way she could keep to the plan. It was impossible.

Later she'd be thankful for it. Always remembering that moment. Sometimes with anger and sometimes with fondness. It had, after all, started everything.

Now, though, all she could do was stare, frozen and unmoving.

39. Jargon (Itachi)

"What the hell is a jargon?" Naruto asked baffled as the three helped each other with their school project in Sasuke's dinning room. "A dragon?"

Sasuke didn't miss a beat, "That's a J not D, idiot."

"I know how it's spelled Teme!"

"Guys." Sakura cut in, "Naruto, it's a language specifically for a subject. Say computer programming."

"Oh. So we have to make up our own jargon?"

"That's what the assignment says." Sasuke intoned.

Itachi, who'd been listening as he found something to eat, smirked. He remembered that assignment. It wasn't particularly challenging, but it was what had sparked the beginnings of the relation he had now with the rosette.

Said girl looked over her shoulder and smiled, "Hey, 'Tachi. Any tips?"

He merely started back for his room though, chuckling.

"What was that about?"

Sakura giggled. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

40. Writer's Choice (Itachi)

He glanced around her room. He'd honestly expected it to be more feminine. Not because of her demeanor but because she had a tendency for surprising people. But as he looked around he found the creamy walls covered in pictures and maps and words. There were definitely a lot of languages, each of the different ones next to specific pictures and map portions. He recalled that she wanted to travel all over the world. To learn everything she could.

A dream she'd stated wouldn't come completely true.

"What are you just standing there for?"

She had two cups, one was tea and the other coffee.

"What do they all mean?"

She pulled him towards the bed in pajamas and a smile, "What do you think?"


	3. Forty One through Sixty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Three – Forty-One through Sixty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** One-shot – Complete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 2,747

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, and #21 Pride.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #9 Kinky, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity and #39 Jargon.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

41. Maybe (Itachi)

Middle ground was never something that had existed for him. Not really. It was always this or that. Yes or no. But it was never simple and it was never just black and white. No matter what the situation, no matter how clear the answer he was always the grey area.

But her. There were no set rules. Everything was in the moment for her. She was a busy body too because no matter how much she planned there was always something she didn't expect to happen. But it was always simple. Always black and white.

Still, there was no surety for either. There were 'maybe's, and 'we'll see's.

But the one thing they knew without a doubt they could count on was each other.

42. Forbidden (Sakura)

It figured. Why did she always want the guys she couldn't have? Sasuke was a lost cause from the get go and still she'd fallen for him. And Itachi?

She hated him. She loved him. She couldn't live without him.

But she couldn't have him. No matter how much she wanted him, needed him. No matter how much he reciprocated it, even if it wasn't with words. Because he was an S-class criminal. He was wanted dead – no 'or alive' option. And she was the Hokage's apprentice and assistant. Konoha's renowned medic. She was loyal to Konoha.

But the scant moments and limited time they stole for each other would never be enough.

Still, she'd always belong to him and he'd promised to be hers.

43. Baby (Itachi)

Itachi watched with silent eyes as she cried her heart out. Her hands were tight fistfuls of his shirt and her face was buried in his neck. He in turn kept a tight grip on her waist, one hand moving in soothing circles on her back.

It wasn't the first time he'd seen her in tears and wouldn't be the last. She had such a fragile heart that not even he could protect it from everyone and everything.

But he was alright with that, because every time she came to him. Every time she depended on him to make it better, make her smile. And he always did. He'd protect her from what he could and mend what he could not.

Because she was his.

44. Forever (Sakura)

"Nothing lasts forever." He told her.

"No, but forever is a long time anyway."

He raised an eyebrow, "Then why are you asking it."

"Because I don't want death to be the end." And she didn't, the idea of anything separating them completely scared her in some ways. It shouldn't have because he was always in and out never staying for too long because of his job and simply because he didn't like staying in one place for long. Yet somehow he'd become the one sure thing she could count on. Her life was so hectic and he felt so natural to have around. Even in the scant time that he stayed – never more than three weeks at most.

"I can't promise that."

"I know."

45. Crazy (Itachi)

He had to be crazy. To like her, to want to be with her. To even try. There were so many reasons that it wouldn't work, like that they'd barely spoken more than two sentences in the time they'd known each other – which was since she was around eight – she is Sasuke's ex-girlfriend, she likes somebody already. And the list goes on, besides she's made it abundantly clear that she doesn't want to be a clan wife stuck in politics and being told how to live and act. All of it boiled down to that it would only end in disaster, not to mention the scandal everyone else would make.

But call him crazy because he was going to get her to feel the same.

46. Life (Sakura)

She cherished life.

She did her best save each and every one that she could, she was a doctor after all. If she turned a blind eye to the dying then who would help them? But she couldn't bear to watch someone die and do nothing because there was so much to live for, everyone deserved a second chance and most needed a first one. And she wanted to be the person to start them on the way to getting it.

And when she came across his body, torn and to most a waste of energy to try to save, she bent down and started at the beginning. He wasn't savable in so many ways but in so many others he didn't need to be.

47. Death (Itachi)

He'd become the person that most looked at and saw death, he'd become the person that no one wanted to know, to be near. He'd become numb to these facts. They were true after all; he was always the one taking lives, so much blood was on his hands.

And yet here she stood, staring back with definite green eyes. Eyes full of life and void of fear. She was the only one left who still stood beside him, who treated him like a normal human being. She shouldn't, she had every reason not to. But she did, and she wouldn't stop. Not for any reason and he held onto that, grasping as tightly as he could to her.

She'd promised to stand by him.

48. Think (Sakura)

Sakura was more inclined to think before she acted, even when her temper was flaring because that just made her even more pone to figuring out the best way to both piss of her opponent and win. She also liked strategy games, she'd been the smartest girl in the class – she hadn't needed to cheat on the chunin exams. She could even give Shikamaru a decent match in both Shogi and Go.

But she wasn't quite on Itachi's level. Now that she thought about it, though, that started this mess. It had started out as differing opinions but it became a game just for fun. And now it was contest the two constantly bet on. They both profited and whoever lost was just that much more ready for another go.

49. Go On (Itachi)

Even before he'd completely decided to accept the orders to massacre his family, he'd known there was no turning back. Walking away, backing out, going back, these were options he'd never had. They firmly locked doors with bolts and plank and metal and too thick to budge. On his own.

She was the first to allow him to back up, to stop his never ending forward motion. Encouraged him to take a really good look at the world around him and where he wanted to end up, if where he'd was now was where he wanted to be.

It wasn't.

She'd shown him that he could. And someday he'd repay that. But for now he'd pick his path without outside influences and he'd find a new pace to go at.

50. Soul (Sakura)

"Do you think we have souls?" Sakura asked out of the blue.

The two of them were on another one of their walks, the walks could last hours and they always had some type of conversation going. If Sakura started it, it was a question, usually of the philosophical sense and if it was Itachi it was a statement, usually of the analytical sense. The topics varied greatly, but neither minded as it was always one that made them both think and in doing so got to know each other that much better.

That was the nature of their relationship, it didn't matter where they were or where they were going on the walk. Nothing did besides the fact that they ended up together.

"Yes."

51. Impress (Itachi)

Itachi was a very hard person to impress, he'd achieved so much that few were even near his level on any one subject. Not even his family.

She did though.

Her intelligence shined in green eyes. Quick reflexes in the field and in general. She was unusual to see with pink hair and pale skin; she gave off a relaxed vibe that belied her crammed schedule. And her personality: she was fierce but compassionate, she loved children and would do anything to protect those important to her. She never put herself first, but didn't hesitate to defend herself.

She was definitely on equal footing with him, definitely worth his time.

And he'd never even met her. Not yet anyway, but he planned to change that.

52. Two (Sakura)

The rock or the hard place.

Sakura seemed to have a knack for getting caught between the two in very hard situations, forced to make very hard choices. She had come to anticipate them, over time allowing things to take their course and crossing the bridges as she got to them, saving each bridge from fire that she could. It was never easy.

And yet now she found herself at the worst crossroad she'd ever come to.

Itachi or her home.

He hadn't pushed her, merely warned her that it would come and that she would have to choose. It made her want to pick him.

When the two of them stood at the border she couldn't stall anymore, "Home is where the heart is."

53. Garden (Itachi)

Itachi blinked at the girl-child that blended so well with the bed of flowers she slept in. He'd never seen anything like her before and curiosity overtook caution. In the back of his young mind he knew his parents could never know of this find.

He padded forward, slipping off his shoes so they couldn't make anything crunch. When he was in the tangle of tall flowers and plants that made up his mother's expansive garden, he crouched next to the small girl. He didn't reach for her, too entranced by her very existence before him. Slowly he lowered himself into a seated position, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his intertwined fingers.

He watched and waited.

54. Stare (Sakura)

"Staring isn't going to change it." Her best friend finally stated.

She stared.

He nearly growled. "Sakura. It's final. So stop staring."

She kept staring.

Scowling, he looked ready to strangle her. "Aniki!"

After a few moments said elder brother appeared in the doorway. Sasuke motioned to the rosette frozen in time beside him, and then vanished.

Smirking Itachi skirted around his newlywed-wife until he was behind her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt arms encircle her waist. "Itachi? When did you get here?"

"When you aggravated your brother-in-law."

She nodded absently, "I still can't believe it. After everything, we got where we wanted to be."

His grip tightened and he kissed her neck, "And that won't be changing anytime soon."

55. Accident (Itachi)

It was an accident. Sure, Uchiha, Itachi, youngest police chief in existence didn't end up in accidents without meaning to, but he definitely hadn't meant to. It was nothing like colliding with another car because one of them wasn't paying enough attention, he didn't make those kinds of mistakes. At least, he hadn't thought he did.

He'd been trying to get through the crowd as quickly as he could; it was a rare occasion that he was running later than his usual early. He'd bumped into her, she lost her balance and got scorching hot coffee all over the both of them. She got the brunt of it, but that didn't change the fact that his white undershirt was stained.

Irritation had ignited almost instantly.

56. Lifetime (Sakura)

She'd always thought forever was a very long time. After all, it meant an infinite amount of time and she was only in her twenties with so many memories that she never wanted to forget. Never was a long time too, like a promise that was always being be broken.

But then she met him in short amount of times – a few hours, days, weeks, months – they all collided together. With him it was like time could stop or speed up, it was like he was the exception to the time-space continuum. And being with him? It made her feel like an exception too.

She didn't mind though. Because when days felt like years and weeks felt like a lifetime, forever didn't seem like a promise waiting to be broken.

57. Werewolf (Itachi)

Itachi watched her with quiet eyes.

The same dull black eyes that continuously got him into trouble: they were the color of a vampire's, dark and ominous.

His family was prestigious, but what was unique was that each member was turned into a vampire. As the heir and prodigy everyone thought he'd be turned by the age of eight. But as it turned out, he would also be born as a vampire, something that hadn't happened since the clan was founded.

And when he was seven it showed, but when he was eight he was bitten by a Werewolf. By the time he was thirteen, it became almost impossible to hide.

Now he was nineteen watching the fifteen-year-old girl stare at the moon with longing.

58. Excuse (Sakura)

Sakura's mind scrambled for a reason, an excuse, _anything_. It kept drawing up blank after blank and she knew if she didn't say something _right now_, she was going to be in very deep water with the worst person to be in so much trouble with.

She tried hard to stay still under his intense gaze, but she could feel her insides squirm with the pressure. Now, she reminded herself. But when she opened her mouth nothing came out, her voice stuck in her throat. Damn, she cursed inwardly, her mind racing once more for some kind of improvise before she made an even bigger fool of herself.

When nothing came forth immediately, she reacted on instinct and kissed him.

He froze and she escaped.

59. Speech (Itachi)

Itachi stared out at the crowd before him. There was no small amount of people present along with the reporters. He'd gotten used to give speeches ever since his first year of high school, being the student body president. They were always a pain, though easily prepared for almost any subject and though he didn't mind them too greatly he found after all this time he still abhorred public speaking.

Here he stood now about to make one of the most important induction speeches he'd ever made – the one into the Prime Ministry of Japan. And not for the first time he was thankful to have his loving wife beside him, ready to support him just as she had since that first high school speech.

60. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

Sakura tilted her head. The black eyes of a teenager stared back, they were dull – though not necessarily cold. No one else was paying him any mind, which didn't make sense to her. When she was lost from her mommy not so long ago everyone noticed her. So why not him? He couldn't be any older than thirteen. He just couldn't.

"Excuse me." She ventured timidly.

He seemed to freeze, as if not expecting her to see him.

"Who are you?" Again soft, but growing more confident and curious.

His eyes turned contemplative before he slowly made towards her. She didn't back away even when he was a mere foot before her.

He opened his mouth and a passerby walked right through him. "A ghost."


	4. Sixty One through Eighty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Four – Sixty-One through Eighty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** One-shot – Complete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 2,795

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice and #21 Pride.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #9 Kinky, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare , #55 Accident , #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse and #60 Writer's Choice.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

61. Know (Itachi)

Most had a tendency to think Itachi as all-knowing. There was little that he couldn't figure out or didn't already know. Still, he was always hungering for more knowledge. And then he met her. She was a paradox in and of herself in so many ways – perhaps too many – and was a layered labyrinth containing so many traps.

A challenge.

When he'd first heard of her, she didn't stick out of the crowd. When he first met her, she seemed weak and useless.

But as he got to know her little by little, he found himself intrigued, his curiosity never sated. Every time he turned over one rock – which wasn't easy – there were at least ten more beneath it.

Not that he minded, of course.

62. Shower (Sakura)

She nearly screamed. Not that she didn't feel justified in wanting to.

There was a criminal – one of the ten most wanted – in her bathroom and she was in was a small fluffy towel. He had blood on him; she could see it in the slightly darker patches of his black attire. And his gaze was fastened on her. She got the instant feeling of crow's eyes looking straight at its food, and she was pretty sure she was that said food.

Her body felt cold even, and not just from the water still sliding down her skin. She was paralyzed, unable to say something let alone of thinking of an escape.

Worst of all, he'd tracked mud onto her newly cleaned, white marble floor.

63. Tell (Itachi)

Itachi wasn't one for public speaking or even a lot of speaking in general. He didn't mind, but he preferred not to. He liked staying in the backgrounds, making sure everything went right.

But right now, there was no way he could avoid it. Not if he wanted her attention. It was truly baffling to him, to have to work for another's attention. Especially a female's. But perhaps that was part of her appeal; she didn't fall all over him like the others.

In any case, he was determined to do what he had to. And telling her the truth of his intentions for her seemed ideal. But as he watched her decline yet another pursuer, he decided he would benefit from getting Sasuke's help.

64. Cuddly (Sakura)

Sakura was an overly affectionate person; she was more than aware of that. She was also aware that it would get her into to trouble sooner or later. She still never bothered to keep it in check when dealing with it, as long as it didn't get in the way of her work – as a forensic scientist – then it really didn't matter.

Well not until the point when in a moment of excitement – because she'd found the last piece of the puzzle to a particularly vexing case – she jumped out of her seat and through her arms around the Superintendent General.

It took her a moment to realize what she'd done, but before she could pull away his arms encircled her waist. She didn't dare to meet his dark eyes.

65. Costume (Itachi)

Itachi abhorred parties.

Especially one's held by his family. And even worse they were usually masquerade balls. And he could never seem to find an adequate enough reason to get out of it and so he was always stuck helping set everything up and entertain the guests.

There was rarely anything that made it bearable, except this time.

All because of her. He watched her mingle her way through, long pink hair pulled back in a simple styled braid. She wore a long flowing dress, one that he recognized from a class he'd taken. It was a shrine maiden's attire when attending a social gathering and it fit her quiet well. She seemed confident in her strides but kept to herself.

This could be interesting.

66. Risk (Sakura)

Her throat felt tight, her heart was too loud in its irregular drumming, her muscles squeezed painfully with each breath. Her knees seemed to lock up and it was all she could do to stay on her feet.

He took each step calmly, his eyes the color of blood as they pierced her to her soul. He didn't waver as each foot silently met the bramble, both arms at his sides.

She forced herself to swallow and not think about how idiotic this idea really was. But it was for a bigger cause and as long as he agreed it didn't matter what his terms were, she'd fulfill them to the T and accept the consequences.

It was worth the risk. It had to be.

67. Heart-Break (Itachi)

Itachi had suffered multiple types of pain his whole life, be it from friend, foe or himself. But the one type of pain he'd never endured was heart-break. He'd never given his heart, not because he was afraid of rejection or because there wasn't another for him, plenty of women had offered countless times. It was because he didn't know how to, didn't know how to entrust his heart or even his life to another so completely with the faith they would not damage it in anyway.

She had though, more than once and yet here she stood with her heart on her sleeve asking him to accept it. And though he still didn't know how, he had the feeling it was time he learned.

68. Pain (Sakura)

Sakura didn't really have an endurance for pain. But somehow she always found herself in it. Physical wounds were of little consequence, she was a doctor and if she wanted the pain to cease she could make it so. What she couldn't banish was the pain of her heart. No matter what she did, no amount of avoiding ever saved her from the heartache of loss and suffering.

But she found she couldn't close her heart, she couldn't forget how to wear it so proudly or give it so trustingly. Because no matter how much pain was involved, in the end he was worth every bit of it.

Because the over filling joy and love she found in him, from him, always outweighed the pain.

69. Rain (Itachi)

Water fell from the sky, dark clouds of the black night, each drop as thin as air or maybe the air as thick as each drop. They melded into one another it seemed and he didn't really care to differentiate one from the other. There wasn't a need to.

He paused at the gates to the village, black eyes taking one last sweep of his home. The one he'd given everything for and was going to give more still for. But he'd get nothing from it, not peace, not happiness, just knowing the end.

A hand tugged on the hem of his shirt and he wasn't surprised to see her there.

Groggy green eyes, soaked cloths and resolved.

He couldn't turn back and she wouldn't.

70. Heart (Sakura)

There were multiple hearts around the names of yet another worn page. And though Sakura groaned as she continued to flip through her journals from so long ago, his smirk merely got wider. Of course it did, she realized, this was both amusing and plenty of ammo to use against both her and Sasuke.

Why did she decide to look through these with him here? That was stupidity in and of itself on her part.

She shot him a glare. Then let her face melt into a mischievous smile and teasing eyes. "You're not worried, Itachi?"

He glanced at her then tugged one of her current journals out, flipping to the last page. It was the same except the names were different, "Why should I?"

71. Stage (Itachi)

It was easy to set the stage for anything, planning was always the easy part. It was executing that plan, making sure the show went according to plan, that was hard. Especially since he'd chosen players who didn't follow the roles and a player he hadn't picked claimed an important role.

He could plan all he wanted, but it didn't change anything. Not with her. She could take any carefully laid plan of his and turn it upside down, inside out and then rip it to shreds without ever meaning to. And even when he included her in the plans she always did what he didn't expect her to.

She wasn't a player to be casted because she wasn't a player.

She was a mastermind.

72. Blush (Sakura)

She hated how easily heat could rush to her face. How quick her body was to react to him, like it had a mind of its own and was determined to undermine her own. It didn't matter what she told herself or what she did, he would always get a reaction out of her. And she was sure that he did it because he could.

He was sitting in a chair next to her bed. Sure there was nothing wrong with that. Except for the fact that he'd found her in the pouring rain last night after she'd left the hospital. And she'd fainted right into his arms.

But the worst of it was: she was in nothing but her undergarments with him watching her.

73. Scene (Itachi)

Itachi was an instigator. He didn't always mean to be, but he knew he had a tendency to ruffle feathers. Hers especially, the first time he'd done it had been accidental but her reaction had been so surprising and amusing, he did it again. The reaction wasn't the exact same but it was still amusing and so he kept doing it.

Now that he thought about it, it was a bit ironic how she was so easily riled. She was so quick to respond, her temper quick to flare even when she clearly didn't want it to.

And as he smiled down at her, having successfully sparked her temper yet again, she glared back with pink cheeks.

And she was supposed to be a peacemaker.

74. Tall (Sakura)

Sakura's height was average for her age, a nice build and a pretty face though she had an odd hair color coupled with attractive eyes. She was well aware of her physical appearance and had long ago accepted every part of it, using each to its proper advantage.

Normally, her biggest problem was making sure she wasn't spotted or remembered by the wrong person because of her hair. But now, as she tried to glare menacingly at the insufferable man before her, she realized the fact that she was no taller than his shoulder was making that pretty hard to do. And so, for the first time her height was a problem.

She would get back at him, as soon as she figured out how.

75. "Pleased to Meet You" (Itachi)

"Hi, I'm Haruno, Sakura." He nodded to the teenage girl as she introduced herself at the door of his home with a bright smile on her face. He wondered what she wanted. "I'm looking for my teammate, Sasuke?"

She quirk a pink eyebrow, "You're his elder brother right?" He nodded again ready to step aside and allow her in. Whatever she wanted with his little brother was not his problem. "Oh, err, then can I possibly trouble you to tell Sasuke he's late and an idiot?"

He watched her for a moment and then nodded a third time. Her smile widened, "Great, thanks, I appreciate it. Pleased to meet you, Itachi. Goodbye." And then she was gone with a wave of her hand.

How intriguing.

76. Recognize (Sakura)

She knew she was an easy person to recognize, what with her pastel pink hair and all. And as much as it seemed a hindrance at times, she found it was pretty easy to cover up without much work. So she didn't mind and had grown into her appearance with ease after she had accepted herself the way she was. She also knew that her brother was even easier to pick out of a crowd because he tended to wear bright orange outfits and had spiky yellow hair.

What she didn't know was just how easy it was to recognize Uchiha, Itachi. But then again, she supposed it helped when he was right in front of her.

She smiled nervously up at black eyes, "Sir?"

77. Suicide (Itachi)

She had a more violent reaction than he had anticipated. In fact he hadn't expected her to even care, let alone glare at him with so many emotions. Fury, disappointment, disbelief, concern, hatred, compassion. Each one ran into the next and she didn't bother to veil them in big, expressive green eyes.

"I can't believe you." Her voice was soft, quiet. It shook with emotion.

He didn't respond.

"I wouldn't have pegged you for suicidal." More of a growl now.

He narrowed his eyes. "You wanted to hear."

"You planned your death! You wanted to make Sasuke a hero? All he'll do is suffer with your plan. Isolated, hateful, angry, _empty_. It's not going to go away when he kills you. The least you could have done was spare him the pain, you suicidal moron."

78. Cliff (Sakura)

It was an idiotic idea. It was more than a lot risky. She had pretty much no chance of living through it and if she did she would sustain permanent damages. But it wasn't like the other option was any better; in fact it was probably worse.

So when she came to the edge of that cliff and when looking down she couldn't see the ground below, she jumped. She hesitated the barest of moments, had glanced back at her pursuer, but was already in the air and falling faster every second by the time he got to the edge.

It should have been the end. But it wasn't, because he'd jumped off right after her.

He knew he'd survive, now she would as well.

79. Selfish (Itachi)

Itachi was selfish. He knew that without needing to be told. And he also knew that he'd always be that way.

But as she watched him with wonder and amusement, "You aren't being selfish."

"No?"

She shook her head, "No. You gave up everything for your home and your little brother."

He tilted his head as he gazed into her eyes from across the bed.

She gazed right back, fear long gone. "And besides, it's not really selfish to keep me if I want to stay."

He closed the small distance, kissing her softly but firmly. After a moment he pulled away only to tug her in between his legs. She went easily as she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his chest.

He allowed himself to lean against the wall and relax.

80. Writer's Choice (Itachi)

Itachi was known to excel at everything, better than most in every way.

Except this.

He'd never bothered to learn because it wasn't essential or interesting to him.

And yet here he stood in the middle of a crowd on a dance floor in a club. Her arms were around his neck as she tried to coax him into moving with her. Her body moved sinuously to the beat of the song, mouthing the words as she did so. She was gorgeous and intoxicating. It was hard to stay still with her like this.

How the hell did she talk him into this?

As he found her rhythm, he made a mental note to have her teach him more later. It could be more than a little useful, after all.


	5. Eighty One through One Hundred

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Five – Eighty-One through One-Hundred

**Rating:** T

**Type:** One-shot – Complete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 2,821

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #27 Hide, #28 Hot and #29 Secret.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #5 First Kiss, #9 Kinky, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare , #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You" and #77 Suicide.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

81. Tea (Itachi)

She scrunched her nose slightly at the smell and even the offer, "Sorry, I'm not the biggest fan of tea out there."

He nodded, "That's alright. What do you like?"

"Coffee."

"Any particular kind."

She seemed to think about it for a moment before shaking her head, "As long as it's not straight black, then I don't really care."

Again he nodded, "Preference between tea and coffee tells a lot about someone. Especially the types that are preferred."

She blinked, "Really? Then what's my preference say about me?"

"You're probably sweet and full of energy." She laughed at that, nodding.

When she'd sobered she titled her head in almost mischievous way, "Then, are you traditional and arrogant?"

Oh he liked this one. Chuckling, "Depends on who you ask. I'm Uchiha, Itachi."

She smiled, "Haruno, Sakura."

82. Physical (Sakura)

Hands settled on her hips, the thumbs pressing into twin dimples on the small of her back and index fingers found their way underneath her shirt. She shivered at the contact, knowing it was him. He was the only one who approached her in such a manner, only one who felt so dark and warm and strong. She pressed her back against his chest and with smile she tilted her head upward until she could see him with distorted vision. He was looking down at her, black eyes gazing straight into her soul. He leaned down then, catching her lips in a hungry kiss. He tasted like he felt plus the added scent of rainwater.

Sakura woke with a start. It was just a dream.

Something on her bed shifted and she found herself staring into those same black eyes.

83. Tale (Itachi)

He sat with his back to the chair, facing the wall as apposed to the woman who sat in the chair and faced the audience. She told an old tale to them. She did this every year, it wasn't always the same one but it was always about the same two characters. Every now and again she'd retell the meeting of the two; it was her favorite after all.

The crowd never grew tired of these tales either. But to them, they were just tales, set in times long forgotten and in societies that weren't imaginable. They couldn't have happened, and so were just tales made around lessons.

But he and she knew differently, they were real. Because these 'tales' were their story. Their life.

84. Destroy (Sakura)

The ground exploded beneath the force of her fist and the power of her chakra. She landed steadily on her feet ready for her opponent to come to her.

She was supposed to be a healer, people saw her as someone who saved, who created. And to an extent she was. But she was also a shinobi. She was trained to take lives, to destroy. She was two sides of the same coin.

Her breath came fast but quiet and controlled. Like she'd been taught. Her eyes constantly searched, not missing anything and when one sense went so far the others filled in the cracks.

But she still didn't sense him in time, not until his face was inches from hers. Too little, too late.

85. Dress (Itachi)

He couldn't help the heat he felt the moment he saw her. He'd told her to dress nice – the first time he had since they started dating – because they would be going to his family-company event. He still didn't know how he'd talked her into it considering it was actually two events back-to-back and she hated such uptight, high-class events. She liked casual and homey. He did as well but he was raised in a wealthy family and so neither lifestyle fazed him.

But the dress she'd chosen, he didn't know she had such clothing in her closet. He stepped up, grabbing her waist and kissing her.

When he finally allowed her air she breathed, "No gentleman tonight?"

"Change." That dress would drive him crazy.

86. Smoke (Sakura)

She felt her body convulse again, coughs racking her chest. She felt like her chest was burning and her throat was too swollen to get the flames out, but not too swollen to let the smoke in. Was this how it was going to end for her? She was going to die in a burning building because she couldn't even get to her feet?

Fate sucked and life wasn't fair. That's all she could think of right then as the too hot flames and the very air slowly stole her life away.

And then there were arms around her and whispered words from a strong voice that she couldn't make out. Hazy vision allowed her to see a blurred face.

And then everything went dark.

87. Talent (Itachi)

Itachi was the type of person that was talented in everything he did. There was nothing he couldn't figure out after having been introduced to it just once. Nothing he couldn't easily become the best at.

This included.

She blushed scarlet and all he could do was smirk wider because he knew it wasn't just embarrassment that colored her cheeks, but anger too. "You're impossible."

"And you're temperamental." This was his favorite talent. Because riling her up was too much fun.

Now she scowled, "Oh? And whose fault do you think that is?"

His smirk became an amused smile as he leaned closer, close enough to press his lips to her ear. Her breath hitched and he was sure her eyes were as wide, "Yours."

88. Heat (Sakura)

She sneezed again, then again. And that was followed by a series of harsh coughs. She groaned at how horrible she felt, there was simply no way she was working today. She couldn't even properly sit up straight.

There was a knock on the door. Really? Now? "Come in!"

The door opened to reveal her boss. Her eyes widened and she instantly felt self-conscious.

His eyes seemed to assess her, "Hello, Haruno."

"Good morning, Sir." She tried to bow, but she only succeeded in making herself dizzy and sicker.

"It seems Sasuke was right. Do you have anyone to take care of you?" She shook her head, confused. "Then I hope you don't mind me."

Maybe her fever was bad enough that she was hallucinating?

89. Cold (Itachi)

She tried to suppress a shiver as she thickened the makeshift insulator she'd made out of chakra. But it wasn't really helping against the cold of the night and the biting wind, it would have been nice to have a fire but the light and remains would cause problems and the crackle would keep her teammate awake.

Itachi shifted slightly and she realized that he was trying to get away from the cold as well.

So she got up and moved to his side, seating herself in a cross-legged position beside him. Immediately he curled around her, arms wrapping around her waist and head settling on her knee as the top of his thighs pressed fully against her own thighs.

Well, that solved that problem.

90. Imagine (Sakura)

Ever since she was a child she'd had an overactive imagination. Sometimes it was a good thing, allowed her to think outside the box to see answers she otherwise wouldn't have. And other times it was so elaborate she wasn't really sure that what had just happened had really happened.

Like this.

She'd rushed into her office to grab a few papers off the top of her desk. But when she'd been shuffling through the multiple files arms had wound around her waist. One hand settled on her hip and the other dragged its way up to her chin. With a swift yank she found her lips assaulted by another pair. And then the culprit was gone.

She hadn't even been able to sense him.

91. Gift (Itachi)

When he opened the door, no one was there. He was used to that though, aware it wasn't a prank but merely fan girls who wanted to leave a gift or say something but lost their nerve. It was disturbingly common between his little brother and him.

But when he looked down to see flowers and a note card he new immediately it wasn't a fan girl. He didn't know who it was, just that it was someone he knew, someone who card about him but simply hadn't spoken about it. He had suspects as to who it was, but lately his schedule had been too busy and somehow she always managed to slip away.

She never left anything more than a different flower, a note and a signature that was never the same twice.

92. Snow (Sakura)

Sakura stared in pure wonder at the sight before her. The snow flakes fell in small barely seeable balls as thunder sounded in the background with lightning flashing in the distance. It was truly a beautiful sight. She felt eyes on her, burning a hole into her, the way they had been before she'd even gotten to the roof of her apartment.

"I love it, Itachi." She whispered, not having enough breath to speak any louder.

"I knew you would." He whispered back, wrapping his arm tight around her as they leaned against the railing. He was mostly behind her, protecting her from the cold.

She leaned her head back against his shoulder with a smile, turning just enough to kiss his neck lightly before they both turned to watch the thunder snow storm together.

93. Truth (Itachi)

He was always looking for it. Sometimes subconsciously, sometimes narrowly, but always looking for it. Because it was knowledge in so many ways, and like knowledge it was a source of power. But as shinobi he made his living off of lying.

So he'd been forced to find a balance: seek the truth and tell the necessary lie.

But doing so wasn't always so easy. Not when telling a lie would mean he would lose her completely and telling the truth would jeopardize her life, maybe even get her killed. It seemed he was always making such choices, ones that meant he would lose either way. He'd lost his life, his home, his _family_. He didn't want to lose her, too.

So which to choose?

94. Short (Sakura)

She was never wearing short shorts and a tank top to bed again.

She huffed as the wind blew harshly against her, moving her shirt and shorts while she was forced to stay docile in his arms.

Somehow – for some reason – Uchiha, Itachi had snuck into her room and kidnapped her in the middle of the night. And now they were already outside of Konoha's boards, heading towards Kiri. And damn was she cold. Not only was she wearing little clothing – while in being held by a criminal! – but the slight wind was strong because of the speed he was traveling at.

She couldn't do anything, though, because of the chakra suppressers and chakra string.

What a fine mess she'd gotten herself into this time.

95. Circle (Itachi)

Itachi tightened his arms around her; he hadn't realized just how hard it would be to keep her still.

"Sakura."

She struggled harder, "Let me go!"

He shook his head, "I can't do that, Sakura."

"And why the hell not!"

Her screaming wasn't helping the headache he was getting from the smell of the smoke.

"Because you'll only get hurt."

She twisted to him for a moment, her green eyes bright with fury and urgency and _pain_, "I don't care. My parents could be _dying_, Itachi."

They already were, he knew. He tightened his grip again, forcing himself to keep a neutral face and tone. "You aren't going in there."

The fire seemed to burp as it expanded outwards in a blaze. The second explosion.

96. Time (Sakura)

Feet pounded against the floor, she didn't care that her feet felt like they were going to fall off, that her muscles burned and her lungs couldn't catch a wisp of air. She should stop, her body was giving every sign that it would give out if she didn't.

But she kept going.

She had to. Time was something she didn't have. It was something she'd never had, but maybe – maybe – if she hurried. If she was fast enough, strong enough, she could still get there, still help, still be useful.

She knew she wouldn't though. Because this was the way he had planned it.

Her scream echoed back to her, but she didn't really hear it. It wasn't what she was listening for.

"Itachi!"

97. Pregnant (Itachi)

One second she was smiling and the next her eyes had gone wide as she tore herself from his grasp and made a dash for the toilet. He blinked out pure surprise but was at her side in moments, pulling her long pink hair out of the way.

"I thought you said it was only yesterday."

She groaned, falling back on her hunches, "I thought it was only yesterday."

He stayed quite, thinking about all the abnormalities that had been happening lately with her. She'd been getting morning sickness but didn't feel in the least bit nauseous or sick, didn't want to eat her favorite foods but was craving spicy ones.

Could it be?

"Is something wrong, Itachi?"

He watched her intently, "Sakura…are you pregnant?"

98. Camping (Sakura)

She watched the bright fire in the quiet clearing, which was expected because all of her traveling companions were sleeping. She merely found herself restless, unable to stop thinking of the day she'd had.

It'd been very eventful and completely fun. Her and a group of her friends had decided to go hiking a while back and they'd finally found the time when none of them would be busy for a few days. They'd even managed to drag Sasuke's brother along. Since they'd ended up having an even number of people, they'd decided to pair off. Each pair would find an activity during the day and meet up with the group at night.

And Sakura had ended up with Itachi. For the whole hiking trip.

99. January (Itachi)

The first month of the year.

Itachi's five years old with a not even year old brother. He loves the little boy and he's vowed to always protect and help him. But it's not Sasuke he's holding right now. Right now he's holding a baby that isn't a year old either, not to mention it's a baby girl. Her name Haruno, Sakura and her father used to be his mother's teammate. So for the first time since her birth, he's holding her because his brother is sleeping, their parents are busy and she wouldn't stop crying.

He looked down at her and she looked up with green eyes. She'd quieted the moment he picked her up and now she watched him with wonder and delight.

100. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

The warmth of her breath left a cloud around her mouth before disappearing, indicating the freezing temperature but she didn't even shift to withhold any warmth. She was already snuggled into her boyfriend's side as they looked to the night sky from their perch on a tree branch. She loved watching the stars and the moon. They seemed so celestial and far away it only made her want to reach for them and their vast beauty.

And when she slid her eyes to the man beside her she wondered not for the first time if he was one of those bright stars. That he sent to earth just for her, so that she knew stars were reachable because he was hers.

"I love you, Itachi."


	6. One oh One through One Twenty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Six – One-Hundred-One through One-Hundred-Twenty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 2900

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Oh and for those of you who either recognize this or want to do these prompts, I did make a change. My apologies but I was trying to keep to my pattern and ended up switching two of the prompts. Hospital should be 110 and Shoes should be 109. Just thought you might want to know (again for those of you who want to do these prompts or recognize them).

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #27 Hide, #28 Hot and #29 Secret.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #5 First Kiss, #9 Kinky, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare , #55 Accident , #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #95 Circle and #97 Pregnant.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

101. Car (Itachi)

Itachi pulled the car to a halt by the curb and waited.

He'd gotten her call at two A.M., and he hadn't been happy about it. But he'd gotten out of bed all the same because had been her on the other end of the line. Sakura had sounded scared and in near hysterics, but even if she hadn't he still would have picked her up the only difference is he hurried this time.

It was a wonder how the two of them could be so close and not be dating because he most certainly did not think of her as sister and knew she didn't think of him that way either.

She was quickly in the passenger seat, door slamming behind her.

He watched her for a moment, making sure she was alright as she settled. Finally, she looked at him and smiled shakily, "Thanks, Itachi. I owe you."

102. Attractive (Sakura)

"Hey, Sakura?" Said young doctor looked to her self-proclaimed brother.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Err, this is going to sound like an odd question, but is there like a chemical in the brain that makes us feel attracted to others?"

She paused and shot him a concerned look, "Naruto…"

He threw his hands up in defense, "I'm just wondering. Honest, Sakura."

She was still wary but told him that yes there was and everything that pertained to it.

He grinned, "Thanks, Sakura!"

She nodded as, waving him off. "Later, Naruto." And she quickly got back to her rounds unaware of her brothers' plans.

Naruto found Sasuke waiting outside, giving a thumbs up, "Alright, now to put get Sakura and Itachi into a blind date operation in motion!"

103. Food (Itachi)

When she'd invited him to dinner at her place he'd been curious but more interested in the woman herself rather than her offer or the reasons behind him so he accepted.

Now that he sat at the small table in her cozy home he found he didn't have a clue what she was serving him. He glanced up at her in question but all she did was smile and gesture for him to try it. Growing up as the proud heir of a Japanese family company he'd never really bothered learning anything about other countries except the languages he thought he would need.

But before him was a type of food he'd never seen before.

This was the beginning of his introduction to the world.

104. Punk (Sakura)

The first time she saw him, her impression wasn't the same as most. Ino had said he looked like a complete gentleman and heard he was too, but personally, all she could see was a punk kid with a wish for a rebellion but didn't know how to go about it perfectly so he stayed silent. She wisely chose to keep this observation to herself.

The first time she meets him in person, he's quiet, he's polite and he's coordinal. But all she can think is how he keeps proving her first impression of him. But still, she keeps it to herself.

The first time they kiss, he's rough, he's passionate and she realizes she was totally right about him.

So, "Hey, my punk boy."

105. Party (Itachi)

He can see the humiliation and horror buried under her anger. It's not a complete front, she is furious, but it's also a cover for everything else she doesn't want to show.

Before she can do anything, though, he chooses that moment to appear behind her. And just like that he's able to remove her from the crowd, the circle and the emotion.

When they're far enough away, far enough that he can't even hear the booming of the music or the rest of the party, he pulls her to him. Pressing her face into his chest and rocks the anger right out of her.

She pulls her head from its resting place, "Remind me to never go to one of these things ever again."

106. Karma (Sakura)

Karma's a bitch. Sakura has decided. But why revenge is a dish best served cold, she doesn't know. Either way, they're both the bane of her existence right now. Why? Because Naruto had pulled another prank again, but it wasn't that he hid behind her, no he'd hidden _from_ her. Because she'd been the victim.

So of course, she'd set out to get him back. And she did. Mostly. See, her plan went a little too perfectly and for the first time she regretted perfection. Sure Naruto would never forget this incident, but neither would she because she'd managed to get the wrong person's attention.

And now, Naruto was gone and she was pinned to something – a wall maybe? – somewhere at night by Uchiha, Itachi.

107. Sleep (Itachi)

He felt fingers through his hair, though he wasn't sure if they had woken him or if he had woken to them. It didn't really matter he decided, not in comparison to everything else. Everything that happened before he blacked out came back to him in a hazy rush, nothing was clear and he was certain there were holes in the memories, but he still felt the urgency to do _something_. For the first time in his life, his memory was more like Uzumaki's apartment then his office.

He stayed still for a few moments but nothing made its way back, in fact everything started to fade away.

"Hello. I'm Dr. Haruno, Sakura. I was told that if you didn't remember anything when you woke, I was to inform you."

108. Sing (Sakura)

Her eyes slipped shut and her breath found a pace around her words. The instruments played behind her as she moved, keeping almost in place, her own hands working at the strings of her favorite old guitar.

She loved the crowd here; they were an easy going bunch and whatever music came from her they accepted. It was exactly the kind of break she needed from her profession.

When the sound trailed off at the end she opened her eyes as the crowd erupted in cheers and encores. She laughed and shook her head. "Sorry guys, that's the last one for tonight."

The protests flooded over her but she was focused on the man in the back. He was what made doing this worth while.

109. Hospital (Itachi)

Itachi watched with a blank expression as the nurse attending to him scurried about. Every time she looked at him he would see a love struck expression but then she'd quickly look away, moving so fast that she was practically tripping over herself and she spoke unevenly, but she also didn't dare to touch. It was like she was caught somewhere between a childish crush and intimidation and both of them only served to mess her up. If this didn't happen every single time in the hospital he might have been a bit amused, but it merely irritated him now.

He wondered idly though, where his favorite – competent – doctor was and why she wasn't taking care of him.

He'd enjoy giving her hell for this.

110. Shoes (Sakura)

When she placed all of her weight on her foot, the ground beneath it gave way. Her eyes went wide as she lost her footing, panic setting in as she remembered just how high she was from the ground – what a long painful way down the trip would be.

But when she squeezed her eyes shut tight, expecting her body to meet the ground, but it didn't. Suddenly her fall was impeded, something had caught her. No, not some_thing_, some_one_. Letting out a shaky breath, she cautiously opened her eyes, feeling warm hands hold onto her shoulders firmly even though her entire back was against a flat torso. Slowly she tilted her head backward until she caught sight of black eyes.

"You should be careful about where you step, Sakura."

111. Early (Itachi)

His steps carried no sound as he padded along the trail. It was an old one that most didn't know existed anymore, not even the residents nearby. He'd happened upon it in one of his many walks that he liked to take. It was still pretty early, the sun just barely affecting the distant horizon with rippled yellows. He was still young, but the burden of having recently attained the rank of ANBU captain already weighed on his thirteen-year-old shoulders and this morning he'd wanted time to himself.

He paused when his gaze caught a glimpse of pink. Curious, he turned his complete attention to it; it was a young girl no older than Sasuke. She slept; curled into a particularly large oak and if his eyes hadn't been keen they would have entirely missed her.

Black eyes narrowed with intrigue.

112. Kill (Sakura)

With a silent scream, Sakura jackknifed into a seated position in her bed. Her body was covered in a sheen of sweat and her breath came uneven and harsh, she paid neither fact any mind though. She was too caught up in all the faces that she saw even with her eyes wide open, the echoes of the voices and the lingering scents and tingles in her skin which grew itchier by the moment. And it is all she can do not to break down right then and there. But she allows her face to fall into her hands, and her shoulders to shake with the force of her emotions.

Arms wrap around her shoulders and instinctively seeks the rainwater scent and comfort of his warm body and inviting neck.

113. Vulgar (Itachi)

He pauses and blinks, momentarily stunned because he hadn't known or even expected her to use such coarse language. She was usually so polite and well mannered that the idea that she used such words had never occurred to him. Though as he watched her glare at whatever she thought had earned such verbal abuse he decided that she was one of the few who could pull off the words without looking any less intelligent or ladylike. That didn't, however, mean he wanted to hear them coming from her for any reason.

So he cleared his throat.

Amusement immediately found a home in his chest when she jumped and slowly craned her head to him. He heard her mutter another cuss word under her breath.

114. Big (Sakura)

It wasn't that big of a problem. Not really. Honestly.

Oh, who was she kidding?

This wasn't just a big problem it was a humungous one. And she was an idiot. Because who – besides an idiot – went to a club with a group of friends, drank too much, danced with a guy and followed the guy out of the club and eloped with him?

And she was pretty sure the world hated her or someone did. Because that guy? Yeah, he might kinda sorta be one of the most powerful and important people in Japan.

Well, maybe next time she wouldn't drink too much or kiss a guy without even asking for his name. At least now she had a good story to tell Ino.

115. Small (Itachi)

He watched as she hummed to some melody, sometimes mouthing the words but never audibly. She was in the far corner of the library, book settled in her lap and propped against the table with a few sheets and other open books spread out on it. She was clearly doing an assignment, though of what nature he didn't know – a research paper? An essay? – but it didn't really matter either.

He was careful to stay partially hidden by the bookshelves and look interested in the book in his hand. He knew this wasn't healthy but the small girl wasn't exactly approachable. Not that she made it hard, simply that he found it impossible to do so.

One hand fiddled with a pencil as another tapped on the table. And then she looked up at him.

116. Hero (Sakura)

Sakura fiddled with the mechanical pencil, bored and irritated with this assignment but she figured she might as well get it done. It wouldn't be due for a while but if she got it out of the way now she wouldn't have to worry about it later. Besides, she still had another assignment to think about. It was more of a memoir/essay type of paper. The prompt being 'Who is your hero? Why? What event caused this person to become your hero?' And she honestly didn't have one of those, not that she could think of anyway. Her father had left when she was young and her mom was usually AWOL and her friends were great – she loved them, but not one of them had done something that merited 'hero'.

Feeling eyes on her, she glanced up into the black eyes of Sasuke's elder brother.

117. Gentle (Itachi)

He had no problem getting inside her apartment with the 'hidden' key she never told anyone she had – and most of the time didn't remember she had either. Closing and locking the door behind him he found the resident curled on her couch. Her back was to him and she was hugging a pillow to her with one arm, and using the other as a pillow. Her white doctor's coat was in a pile on the floor along with stockings as shoes. Her shirt had ridden up so that her entire midsection could be seen. He knew by the gooseflesh she was cold, she must have been too tired to even get a blanket.

So he quickly retrieved one and tucked it in around her.

With a soft smile and the shake of his head, he laid down beside her and curled around her – just encase. He'd reprimand her later.

118. Inside (Sakura)

When she opened her eyes she saw black and red. The sky was red and the clouds and ground were black and white outlined the black. She knew exactly where she was. The first time she'd ended up here, she was frightened, the second time wary, the third time anxious and then she accepted it. There was no set schedule, he didn't run on one of those, merely when he had the time and energy for this. But he always seemed to time it when she was asleep, not that she minded.

She still didn't know why he did this to her. But she wasn't complaining, especially not when she finely spotted him across the way.

She smiled.

He was suddenly _right there_, kissing her.

119. February (Itachi)

The second month of the year.

Itachi is seven now. Sasuke's got his mother's full attention and Fugaku already has too many expectations pilling up and the first one is mastery of the Sharingan. Itachi knew that no matter what he achieved, it would never be enough, that this was only the beginning. He'd become a genin, next would be chunin, after that ANBU – not even jonin. What made it easier was that little pink haired toddler who was attached to him the moment he was in her sights, and admittedly he'd done his best to make those moments as frequent as possible. His parents hadn't noticed, though he was pretty sure hers had. But they seemed to approve.

Good, he'd need that for later.

120. Writer's Choice (Itachi)

When he found her, she was glaring at a glass of water as if it was the most hated thing in the world. Surprisingly, the sight didn't perturb him, intrigued and amused him yes, but didn't bother him. It was almost disturbing how used to her doing things like this that he was.

He tilted his head slightly as he approached, "What did it do to deserve such a look?"

She didn't even glance at him, her eyes completely fixated on the liquid container.

He couldn't help the amusement he felt as it mingled with exasperation at her antics. "Sakura." He settled beside her.

Hiccup. Green eyes hardened, "It gave me hiccups, damn it." – Hiccup. – "And it now it won't take them away."

He laughed.


	7. One Twenty One through One Forty

**Title: **Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader: **Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom: **Naruto

**Pairing: **Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Seven – One-Hundred-Twenty-One through One-Hundred-Forty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary: **500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 2,882

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #30 Sexy, #29 Secret, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency and #39 Jargon.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #5 First Kiss, #9 Kinky, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #38 Unity, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare , #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February and #120 Writer's Choice.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

121. Try (Itachi)

He could see the tears welling, her body trembling with the force of her emotions but he refused to show any emotion, any reaction. He couldn't back down now, but suddenly he realized he didn't know how to proceed – for the first time he didn't know what play to make.

She sniffed quietly and though he kept a heavy gaze on her she stared right back. Tears had always been a sign of weakness but considering that she was meeting his gaze with the back bone of hers held straight, he wasn't so sure anymore.

Her voice shook, coarse and ladled with anger, but so so quiet. "You know, Itachi. There's this invention called trying."

He watched her long and hard for a moment. "How?"

122. Loveable (Sakura)

She allowed her eyelids to fall until she was looking at him through half-lidded eyes, she made sure to angle her face just so that she could create the image of also looking up at him through her long dark green-black eyelashes. She curled her lips and shifted her posture that all of her screamed flirtatious and coy.

When a look of pure amusement crossed his face she knew immediately she had failed.

Dropping the whole act all together she huffed and stopped her foot, "Damn. I'm never going to get this."

With a chuckle, he shook his head and then wrapped his arms around her waist, "Why do you need to? You look best like this."

She rolled her laughing eyes and kissed him.

123. True (Itachi)

He heard her sigh, but didn't even glance at her. She'd made the noise out of boredom and possibly because the silence was irritating her. He personally liked it, he didn't like playing music in the car nor did he see the reason for small talk of any kind but he knew she loved sound. Her hands were clasped together in her lap, legs crossed as she stared out the window.

"So…where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Pause, "Okay…why me?"

Silence.

She muttered.

He tried to think of why he'd volunteered to pick her up. Sure, she was a witness – and uncooperative one who was in a dangerous situation at that. But…why in the world had he thought it a good idea to be the one to protect her for the duration of the investigation?

124. Game (Sakura)

It was their house of cards.

She was waiting for it to fall; collapse in on itself because there was simply no way this perfect could last forever. She learned early on that perfection was fleeting, if it ever came in the first place. And he was her prefect everything.

But she didn't want to let go, give in, before it was time. She wanted to enjoy it as best she could. So she'd add another card and then she would sit back, waiting for him to do the same. Waiting to see if this was the one to make it all fall down.

It was so big now. It was only a matter of time before it fell.

Until then, this was their game.

125. Magic (Itachi)

He watched as pure wonder sparked to life in her eyes and couldn't help the warm feeling the welled inside because of it. Even at her age she still saw the world with such innocent eyes despite all the horror that she'd witnessed. It was one of the reasons he liked having her around, why he'd even agreed to help her in her studies.

But that didn't mean he'd go easy on her. "Again."

She looked at him as if to say 'it doesn't matter how awesome that was I'm not doing it again.' Because he knew a beginner like her was used to the rigorous tasks he was placing before her, and she definitely wasn't used to the pace he'd set her own.

He didn't budge.

So she huffed and muttered under her breath but repeated the steps again.

126. Sweet (Sakura)

Sakura loved lollipops, the sweet taste, the swirly design. But she'd never look at it the same ever again.

And honestly it wasn't her fault. Not at all…well, maybe a little. Maybe she shouldn't have unintentionally antagonized him like that. But still! He's the one who made all hard candy seem…provocative to her.

Not to mention ruined her innocence.

But that didn't mean she would refrain sucking on the candy, savoring each lick. And doing so in front of Itachi? That was tantamount to ask for a very…fun evening.

And when she spotted a sucker on the coffee table and Itachi was seated be side her writing a paper. She looked at her book for a few moments longer and then reached for the sweet-sweet candy with a mischievous grin.

127. Woods (Itachi)

Step. Step. Falter. Exhale. Painpainpain. Step. Step. Stumble. Inhale. Darkdarkdark. Step. Step. Fall. Deaddeaddead.

He was done. He didn't want to keep going – his resolve was withering away and he didn't want to strengthen it. He just wanted it to end, wanted this to finally be over. He wanted to stop suffering.

But the world was cruel – as he'd learned the hard way again and again – and he knew instinctively this wouldn't be the end. There wasn't one for him.

And he was right. Of course he was right – he hated this fact with a passion because even though he was right he couldn't change anything.

Air shifted, grass rustled, almost silent breathing, hands hesitatingly reaching for him.

No.

But the start their mending anyway.

128. Boat (Sakura)

"How about…_Weasel Cherries_?"

Silence.

"Yeah, your right, a bit weird right? Hmmm how about…_Shinboi_."

More silence.

"Kay, I actually like that one so we're going to throw it in the 'maybe' pile." She stayed quiet for a moment, staring at the thing as if trying to get an idea out of it. As if staring at would irritate or intimidate the million pieces of wood and steel into giving her a proper name.

"_Mine_."

She blinked and looked at the tall dark and quiet man beside her. "What?"

"Why don't we name it _Mine_."

She paused and blinked again. "_Mine_…" she said as if to try it out as she stared at the average sized sea fairing thing – was it a boat or a ship? Then she grinned, nodding. "Perfect."

129. Laces (Itachi)

Black eyes watched her turn slightly, before seeming to grow impatient with the blanket that wasn't comfortable around her anymore. She kicked her legs out, trying to resituate but only succeeded in tangling them further. She made a soft whining noise in the back of her throat as her hands tried to sort the problem out.

He felt a quiet rumble in his own chest out of amusement for this petite woman in his bed. His lips curled when he finally pushed the blankets off of her completely. She was wearing a baby t-shirt and panties.

Hadn't he warned her about under dressing in his home? Especially in his bed.

He wondered if she'd regret it when she woke. Only one way to find out.

130. Decorate (Sakura)

She huffed and fell on the couch, quickly standing when she realized she'd sat on something she didn't want to. So she settled for flopping on the floor just careful enough not to wreck anything because she knew she'd be even more irritated when she bothered to get up. But damn it, this whole thing was pissing her off. Why in the world did she agree to this?

And on top of it she was a wedding planner, she did it for a living. So why the hell was it so hard to plan her _own _wedding?

Huffing again she glanced around the big room that was in her fiancé's house. He'd through a fit if he saw it like this, but she didn't care.

131. Slave (Itachi)

She stayed as still as she could. But the fear was evident on her face. Her long pink hair was groomed and done in a showy fashion; she was dressed up like a doll even down to the make up on her face.

He knew by instinct they people who'd done this to her, put her in that cage, were also covering up the marks. It irritated him and it was all he could do to stay in his seat. His crimson eyes flashed though, making sure she caught them.

And she froze, the fear becoming even more pronounced as panic set in.

He ignored it, knowing he'd be the one to get her out of it. That she would be his and his alone.

132. Gun (Sakura)

It was heavy and cold in her hands. Just like she remembered it was. But all she did was take a deep breath, clasp it tightly with both hands and extend her arms until they were straight and her elbows locked. She resisted the urge to close one eye as she locked onto her target.

Arms wrapped around her from behind then, breath whispered against her neck. She smiled at his attempt to lessen the feeling that was gripping her. One of his arms settled across her waist and the other came up to rest a hand on her shoulder.

She allowed her arms to fall, unable to loosen her grip. He tugged it away from her.

"See, you can do it."

"Thank you, Itachi."

133. Armed (Itachi)

Stay still, Sakura. He wanted to say it. But it didn't matter if he did because she wouldn't hear him. It would be too late if he said anything, did anything that the other didn't like.

How did this happen? His life had been full of misfortune but when she paraded her way into like she owned it – as much as that had irritated him – his world became peaceful. It'd felt like nothing could go wrong so long as she was beside him.

And yet this had happened.

He felt determination flare as he resolved to end this. Nothing like this would ever happen again. He wouldn't jeopardize her, wouldn't chance losing her.

He shifted slightly, prepared for the worst, and hoped his plan worked.

134. Cut (Sakura)

They say the first cut is the deepest. And if that was true, did that mean that no matter what came next, it wouldn't hurt as much as what happened with Sasuke. Or would it just not be as deep.

No she decided. Because she'd learned that it was the small ones that hurt the most and if this went wrong, if she ended up hurt from this she would learn what true heartache was. But that's not how Itachi operated. He didn't get close, didn't trust.

So when he chose to with her, she knew immediately that if something happened then he'd been as much pain as her. And Itachi didn't like pain, so they'd both work to make sure that this – whatever 'this' was – didn't end like that.

135. Love Me (Itachi)

Itachi demanded a lot of things. Among them were obedience and competence. What didn't demand – what he though he would never demand – was emotion. As a shinobi, he didn't need it because he'd been taught, perhaps too well, that they nothing more than excess baggage.

But here he was watching the little rosette in his arms, he tightened his arms around her in a silent question for her to meet his gaze. She would, he knew, with hesitation. Because unlike him, she didn't demand anything from anyone. She showed her emotions freely and entrusted her heart without a second though. She'd given him her heart.

When she looked into his eyes made sure he had her undivided attention when he kissed her. "Your mine, always."

136. Villain (Sakura)

In every story there was a protagonist, an antagonist and a conflict. And since everyone had their own story in which they were the protagonist then that meant that they were all an antagonist at some point or another.

In her story, she was a protagonist and an alley to many, but she was not a hero. He was the exact opposite, an antagonist and an enemy of many, but he was her villain.

And their conflict? They had a unique one.

But then again so was their story after all they were protagonist, but not antagonist. Not hero, but definitely villain.

And so their conflict was that they were star-crossed lovers. Destined to always run into each other, to always be against each other, and always love each other.

137. Alcohol (Itachi)

She was drunk. It was unlike her too for a few reasons, but mainly that she didn't touch alcoholic beverages and when she did it was typically wine and only because the occasion called for it.

But with how she couldn't keep her footing and the almost red of her cheeks, he knew that she was going to have one hell of hang over for it in the morning.

What he cared about right then though, was some guy was trying to take advantage of _his_ girl.

It wasn't official; she probably didn't even feel that way about him. But he couldn't help his over protectiveness of her, especially since he was still in the process of getting her to think of him like that.

138. Outside (Sakura)

The cold temperature caused her breath to come in visible puffs, she didn't pay it much mind though, as she clutched her crossed arms tighter, trying to keep as much warmth in her body as possible. The thin sweater she wore simply wasn't enough to chase away the biting cold. She couldn't help but wish for the heat of summer to return as she kept walking.

She didn't have anywhere she was going, but she didn't want to go home yet. So she kept walking.

She smiled when she heard footsteps fall in-step with hers. The snow crunching under their feet at the same time.

She allowed her arms to wrap around his arm and she also leaned against him as they walked.

"Morning, Itachi."

139. March (Itachi)

The third month.

Itachi is ten now. Which means Sasuke is five and he's already begun to take up the Uchiha attitude and that Itachi has too many responsibilities to even try to do anything about it. He passed the chunin exams not too long ago and Fugaku is pushing him for ANBU which has caused more than one argument between his parents. Sakura gets more like a pixie everyday, so much so that he decided to get her a simple necklace with the kanji for fairy on it. She'll love it, he knows, but he has to wait for her birthday to come before he can give it to her. Though it seems that not too long after – probably even the next day – he will have to leave for ANBU training and so he has to savor the time he has left with her.

140. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

She was going to kill him, she decided. Slowly, painfully.

Why?

Because that childhood best friend had managed to get _her_ caught for a con_ he_ pulled. Stupid blonde. And now she had deal with this stick in the mud who's team was more than ready to put her away for all the conartist crap Naruto had pulled. Thankfully, Sasuke's elder brother wasn't an idiot so he was questioning whether she was the real culprit or if she had been set up. She hoped she could angle so that he thought it was the latter but didn't find that she knew who the real conartist was.

But the way those black eyes were looking at her?

Things did not bode well for her.

Well, crap.


	8. One Forty One through One Sixty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Eight – One-Hundred-Forty-One through One-Hundred-Sixty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 2923

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency and #39 Jargon.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #5 First Kiss, #9 Kinky, #38 Unity, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare , #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice, #122 Loveable, #126 Sweet, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #137 Alcohol, #139 March and #140 Writer's Choice.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

141. Sun (Itachi)

She was his sun, she was his air and his water. It was easy to tell, to see. He could see the sun in her smile, the air when he was close enough to catch the strawberry scent of her and the water in her eyes.

But that didn't matter. Because he didn't like the sun, he preferred the dark and he was slowly dying each day so it didn't matter if the air he breathed was fresh and the water around him was found in the blood that he was usually covered in.

So he turned her sunny smile into a straight line, the air around her stiff and tense and the water was fused with salt when it feel from her eyes.

He broke her until she wasn't her. Until she was him.

142. Straight (Sakura)

She liked the feel of lead on paper as she let her mind wander and her hand the ability to move without direction.

Soon the page was full of lines, some straight some curved, some short, some long. Eventually they were creating a picture, telling a story. And she wondered what it was, what it would look like when it was done, but for now she would just let her hand go as she tried to unwind.

She'd been under a lot of stress lately and this was one of her favorite methods of relaxation. And while she had found another one she liked even more, it was the reason she was stressed in the first place.

She drew two lines on his face. Finished.

143. Gay (Itachi)

He blinked at her in surprise. Surely, she hadn't just insinuated what he though she had. "Pardon?"

She didn't back down though, merely tilted her head, pink eyebrows drawing in confusion. "I said: 'you do realize I'm a girl, right?'"

Of course he did. He nodded almost numbly, "And a very attractive one."

She smiled, "Thanks, but seriously, what are you doing hitting on me?" It wasn't obvious? "I mean, aren't you gay?"

He stared at her in stunned shook because, yes, she had insinuated what he'd that she had. Narrowing his black eyes he took a step forward, "And what would give you that idea?"

She shrugged, "That's a long list."

He couldn't believe her. Couldn't believe himself. He'd fallen in love with someone who thought he was _gay_?

144. Video (Sakura)

She tinkered with the settings, irritated that the stupid thing wouldn't do what she wanted it too. In fact, she finally got so fed up with it; she turned the whole thing off. She hated videos and her TV, she made a mental note to highjack Ino's before this assignment was due.

She was about to stand up from her up close position next to the reflective screen. And then she was it. Like looking into a fun house mirror, she saw the distorted image of a man reaching for her.

She sucked in a breath as quietly as she could; trying to remember all those self defense classes. But before she could react, his arm was around her midsection and her world was blackening.

145. Music (Itachi)

The words washed over him loud and lulling, but he didn't bother to hear what they actually were as his allowed the beat to move him. First swaying, and then actually moving. His body sifting and relaxed, letting the beat move him where it wanted to and the rhythm set his pace.

It was rare when he chose to dance, most believing that because of his stiff demeanor he didn't know how to. But he was determined to show her anyway he could that he was capable of just as much languidness as she was.

And he was doing a good job of it, when he felt her body brush up against his continuously, following his lead as she, too, lost herself to the music.

146. Paint (Sakura)

The first time she'd seen it, she'd frozen for a few long moments. And then she'd fled the premises and soon after dropped off the radar she'd been so careful to make sure she would be pretty much under at the time. Apparently not. Apparently some human had seen her in her real form and had painted her.

The next time she was it, she'd stiffed but reminded herself that she had brown hair now, not pink and her eyes were a dark brown, not eye-catching green. But she'd avoided it as much as possible.

But now as she stood before for the third time, she lingered and that was her fatal mistake. Because the painter's descendant had recognized her for who she really was.

147. Forest (Itachi)

Itachi's crimson eyes flickered upward and all around him, he was surrounded by abnormally large and thick trees. How fitting, he couldn't help but think. That he would meet his end in not only the village where he began but in a forest that had been so aptly name Forest of Death.

He'd long since settled at the base of one of the massive trees, resigned to the fact that if he put one step out of this place they would be on him and he knew he couldn't fight his way out in this condition. And if he stayed then the wildlife – also overgrown – would get to him. And if neither one of those things happened, he'd die from either internal hemorrhaging due to his illness or external bleeding due to wounds.

And then he felt that familiar chakra.

148. Face (Sakura)

She stared at him a few moments and before she could help it she started chuckling which turned into full out laughter. Especially when she glanced around the room.

The infamous prankster and number one knuckle head of Konoha had struck again.

Literally.

Nearly all of the most powerful people in Konoha had black marker all over their faces. And though she had to admit, some of them were fitting, she knew she was going to get caught in the cross fire of this one. Big time.

But she had to remember to congratulate Naruto for getting even Itachi.

For now, she would have to figure out a way to get out of this without becoming the target of a bunch of pride wounded males.

149. Pants (Itachi)

As an Uchiha, it had never occurred to him that he'd be like the Nara boy's father in the sense of his interaction with his significant other. But the fact of the matter was, he had become one of those 'yes, dear' boyfriends. Of course, he was by no means submissive, it wasn't in his nature to be that nor would he ever.

But there were times in his relationship with Sakura that he wondered just who was really wearing the pants.

Especially since she seemed to love trying to get him out of his.

Like right now. Her small hands were at the zipper of his pants, but he moved just out of her reach. His eyes glinted deviously when she started to pout.

150. Wedding (Sakura)

The lyrics rang from the speakers in the living room as she twirled the writing utensil in her right hand. Her math book was on the table and paper with writing on it in her hand.

When it got to one of her favorite parts of the song, she went from mouthing the words to actually singing along. "When I say 'shotgun', you say 'wedding'. Shotgun, wedding. Shotgun–"

"Wedding."

She glanced up startled to see Itachi standing in her doorway. But then she grinned, "What do you say, Itachi? Can we have a shotgun wedding."

All this procured from him was a laugh and a shake of his head as he entered into her home.

She just kept grinning because he hadn't said no.

151. Pierce (Itachi)

Not happening. He was not going to agree to another one of her whims, especially when they were of this nature. But because he had – why had he let her talk him into it? – he now had a tattoo. It was on the inside of his left forearm near the elbow and was simple. But the fact of the matter was that he now had ink permanently imbedded in his skin because he'd let her talk him into something.

He glared at the driver ahead of him who was going way slower than the speed limit. She laughed beside him, "Oh come on, love. It looks great."

"I'm never letting you talk me into anything of this nature again." He told her flatly.

She began to grin teasingly and he almost groaned, "So a piercing is out of the question?"

152. Do (Sakura)

To do or not to do, that is the question.

And frankly, said question can go to hell. Why? Because it was giving _her_ hell. Actually, he was, but it was the same thing really.

Uchiha, Itachi was a pain in her ass who needed to _go away_. But would he? No, because he was Itachi and he was a pain in the ass.

Here she was, losing sleep – precious, precious sleep – because of a simple question. And no, not the abovementioned one. That was a response to his question.

She grabbed a small piece of paper and wrote 'do' and 'do not'. Closing her eyes and waving her hand in the air, she slapped it down on the answer.

She peeked at it.

Do.

153. Threat (Itachi)

Itachi didn't take threats well. Not inwardly, anyway. He liked challenges, certainly, but open threats were not something he tolerated from anyone. Not even her.

He quickly grabbed her wrist, the one with the kunai aimed for his heart and yanked hard. She was thrown off balance and slammed into his chest with the force of his pull.

She growled, snarling to be let free. He merely met her eyes with flashing eyes.

Leaning down, he whispered right into her ear, "Threaten me again, Konuichi and you won't live to regret it."

And just as easily let go, stepping back as he did so. Black eyes appraised her for a few moments as she stared at him with angry eyes and a heaving chest.

Then he turned and walked away.

154. Meet (Sakura)

Meeting 1:

She stands behind her best friend, not really waiting on him, but she's his secretary because otherwise his desk wouldn't be half as clean as it is or his priorities as near in order as they should be. His glance flickers over her and she smiles briefly.

Meeting 2:

She shuffles the papers into a neat order, dancing around her sleeping boss. Itachi pauses in the doorway, he'd been about to ask something of Sasuke. But she smiles and holds her index finger to her lips even as she grabs the papers being offered up.

Meeting 3:

His phone falls from the stack of papers and he curses. Suddenly, she is there and she grabs it from the floor. And with that smile of hers, she puts it back in his pocket. His eyes never leave her face.

155. Kiss Me (Itachi)

Suddenly fire burned in her eyes, what he'd done to ruffle her feathers this time, he wasn't sure. But he enjoyed the sight of her eyes coming to life, certainly they were usually full of life. But when she was livid it was a sight like no other and he always etched it into his memory, unable to get enough of it.

"Uchiha." Her voice shook with the force of her anger. He didn't even flinch.

"Next time you go announcing our relationship to the world, I'd appreciate it if you didn't do it falsely. I haven't agreed to be your wife yet so you can't call me it."

Oh, that? That could be easily fixed.

"I thought I was clear. You are my wife."

156. Skeptic (Sakura)

Sakura was the open minded type of person who took everything at face value. If she was sure she was being lied to, then she didn't believe it, but other than that she usually believed what others had to say. Though there were a few occasions where she settled for believing that whoever she was talking to believed what they were saying.

But she always tried to keep an open mind. Even about the impossible.

Until she'd actually been faced with it.

It came in the form of a man. Black hair, crimson eyes and pale skin. He wore nice though very old era clothing with an emotionless countenance.

"You…will do anything – grant any wish – so long as I agree to give you my soul?"

157. Lip Stick (Itachi)

Deidara glared at Itachi. "Fine, Uchiha. If you're so damn good with girls, how about you go get a date with that chick. And I want to see written proof in lip stick."

Itachi glanced in the direction Deidara was indicated to see a pink haired teen browsing through lip wear.

She sighed and put yet another tube back. "None of these look good. How am I supposed to impress anybody if I look like a circus clown?"

Before he could check himself, he padded forward. When he was close enough he picked up a certain color after a quick scan and handed it to her. "Perhaps you should try this one?"

She glanced up, startled, and took it. Holding it up to her lips, she seemed to like the color. Then smiled and nodded. "Then perhaps I owe you."

158. Dazzle (Sakura)

She smiled at her reflection as she twisted and turned, showing off the sparkly new dress she had just bought. It was a sable black because of all the bluish silver sparkles on it and personally she loved it. Because it was the color of Itachi's eyes and she loved Itachi's eyes. She could lose herself in them if given the chance.

She glanced at the picture on the mantle of her and group of friends, Itachi was in the background, he'd been caught unintentionally. But that didn't matter, seeing him – even in a photo – made her smile.

And wonder when her beautiful husband was coming home from his business trip.

Because she missed his voice. Because she missed his eyes.

Because she missed him.

159. April (Itachi)

The fourth month.

Itachi is thirteen now. Sasuke is eight and thinks he's king of the world. But Itachi has recently achieved ANBU captain and has even less time to set the boy straight. His father seems appeased for now, though Itachi knows that he start up again when the teenager is old enough to marry.

And Sakura?

The most understanding and innocent thing the – his – world.

He'd kissed her forehead to show her he liked it and therefore there was nothing wrong with it. And she in turn had kissed his cheek to make the stress lines go away. She'd been disappointed when it didn't work. So he'd told her to close her eyes and used a jutsu to make it so.

She'd grinned the rest of the time he was in her company.

160. Writer's Choice (Itachi)

Her exquisite green eyes were wide as she backed up a few steps. Smart, futile, but smart. "Woah, woah." Something inside him rose to her voice, he liked it, loved it. Wanted to hear his name on those lips.

He took a step forward.

"Umm, back up please?" There was an edge of hysteria to her voice, "Seriously? And what do you mean _Awaken _and _Fated_? I am my own person, I'll have you know." Bold. Very bold, but foolish too. His wrath was not something any of even his own kind would willingly, or otherwise, incite.

He realized it would be fun teaching this small human of the creatures of Lore, especially of his own kind. He smirked, a telling curl of his lips.


	9. One Sixty One through One Eighty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Nine – One-Hundred-Sixty-One through One-Hundred-Eighty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 2992

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #48 Think and #58 Excuse.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #5 First Kiss, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #60 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #85 Dress, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #88 Heat, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #96 Time, #97 Pregnant, #98 Camping, #99 January, #100 Writer's Choice, #101 Car, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #118 Inside, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #126 Sweet, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April and #160 Writer's Choice.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

161. If (Itachi)

If and when were two very different questions; Itachi notes when he finds himself presented with this complicated situation. This situation being him watching over his pretty little female as he is forced to choose. Choose between her and death. Between a life of constant running but the certainty of her beside him or her pain as she realizes that he choose to betray her.

If is not supposed to be part of a 'when' question and when isn't supposed to be a contemplation in and 'if' statement.

But they're both relatively simple. When will he choose what he wants, her or his life? And what happens if he chooses the wrong one.

Two answers, one road and no time to make his decision in.

162. Laughter (Sakura)

There are many contagious things in life as Sakura has discovered. Among them are flues and disease, as well as moods be they good or bad, yawns, smiles and laughter.

So of course she finds it slightly amusing to her sleep deprived brain when she yawns and then Naruto does and then Sasuke does and finally Itachi beside her does. She giggles and smiles as Naruto waves it off, Sasuke sends her an irritated scowl – because he's always in a bad mood, the grouch, at infects hers somewhat, but at the same time she has Naruto and therefore, between them her mood is mostly unaffected – and Itachi smiles too.

"Sakura." Sasuke starts in irately, "Whether you're tired or not, it's not amusing that the Dobe and I managed to catch a flue in the desert."

163. Have (Itachi)

He shook his head to show her that what she had was still wrong in some way. She pouted when she caught the movement of his head. "Okay, fine. What's wrong with it now?"

Again he declined, "Sakura, your never going to learn to speak Spanish or German or any language if you don't try to remember it on your own."

She rolled her pretty green eyes, "Oh bite me, you know I learn better if you tell me what I'm doing wrong."

He paused and then finally conceded, "Your mistake was that the sentence isn't to _be_ hungry, but to _have _hunger."

She screwed up her face a bit, "How in the world does _that_ make sense?"

He laughed quietly and told her, "Again."

164. Farm (Sakura)

The wind steals the sound she makes as the two of them race each other. But still she keeps laughing as she spurs her favorite mare forward in an attempt to get ahead of her pretty husband.

Most don't know it, but Haruno, Sakura grew up on a farm with her too big biological family and though she moved to the city and lives there, she still likes to drag her honey out to the farm that her parents still own. She does it because this place is home and it's a good excuse to get away from the hustle and bustle of both parties lives.

That and she's pretty sure Itachi has gotten attached to this kind of life as well. If the way he is smiling and coaxing his horse to go faster as well is any indication.

165. Moment (Itachi)

His life had been build off a cornucopia of smaller things. Most lives were, but it was the little things that mattered to him. The overlooked gestures of others: his mother who smiled every time she saw him. His father who tried his best to teach Itachi everything he knew. And Sasuke who would do anything he asked.

But what mattered the most to him was her.

He didn't know her name, but every time they'd even saw each other she showed courage and care. Her hands were gentle and patient. She did her best to always give him strength, to somehow always be there.

So he cherished her and moments she brought with her to him, for him. And he'd never ever forget her.

166. Santa Claus (Sakura)

Every year her enormous – mostly not blood related – family did Secret Santa at Christmas. It was always fun for everyone involved because they all had gotten pretty good at not blabbering who they had. And though they'd been doing this since teenage years – when she, Naruto, Sasuke and Ino first started it – no one ever got the same person twice because it seemed that there was always someone new added to the Big Hat of Names.

This year she was stumped, though. She'd gotten Itachi. Itachi of all people. And what do you get for one of the currently most powerful people in Japan? Especially when you're pretty sure said guy hate's you? But the fact was she hated the jerk, too.

Oh, the possibilities.

167. Dance (Itachi)

It was like a dance, he supposed. The way the moved around each other, if one moved the other did too to accommodate. But they never got close; there was always just a little space between them even though he was certain that they were always looking each other in the eye. If she took a step back, he would take a step forward and if he took a step to the left she would take one to the left.

All of this was metaphorically speaking, of course. But facts were facts.

And he was getting tired of this dance.

Tired enough to do something about it. The next move was his move after all, and he wasn't going to just take a step, he was going to take her.

168. Naked (Sakura)

She swallowed noisily and stepped back, her eyes felt wide and her skin was flushed from the hot water.

She'd never imagined that going to the hot springs for the first time in a while as a long deserved vacation would turn out like this. It was only her in this particular spring, and she'd been fine with that because it meant more time to herself to simply relax and let all the stress drain from her.

Her green eyes had slipped closed for what seemed like only a moment, but when they opened again the sun was somewhere else in the sky.

Sakura had sat up a little straighter and found herself staring into the eyes of Uchiha, Itachi.

So much for a vacation.

169. Silly (Itachi)

It was a silly thing really. Something small and easy to overlook. And she certainly did her best not to make a big deal about it, but he could tell it bothered her.

His black eyes bore into her as her green eyes shifted to the floor, clearly not wanting to meet his gaze. "Sakura, you're being absurd."

Itachi almost wished he could take the words back when he saw a hurt look flash across her eyes before those green orbs turned indignant. "I am not!"

But he was telling the truth, and he nodded. "Yes, you are." Taking a step forward, he cupped her both cheeks and leaned down he kissed her forehead. "Wearing your hair back, does not make your forehead look big."

170. Displaced (Sakura)

When the blindfold was removed from her eyes, she blinked trying to filter the light that was assaulting her vision. Though it was only a little going from pure dark for so long to any amount of light was disorienting. But that wasn't her biggest problem.

Her biggest problem was that she was surrounded by bandits. Not just any bandits either, the four around her were the most well known in the entire country, world even.

Which was just another way of saying she was screwed.

She shifted in a more comfortable position – her arms were pretty much dead with numbness behind her and her knees hurt with cramps.

"Finally." She muttered.

And her being her, she just had to go and make it worse.

171. Breed (Itachi)

Itachi shifted, digging his claws into the earth slightly as he did so. The feel of the soil under the nails reminded him to retract said things. He still wasn't used to this cat business. Not at all, and he was still cursing the pink haired witch for doing this to him.

It made sense to him how 'leave me alone, I don't have time for you' equated to 'I want help escaping, change me into a cat please.'

The only thing he could think of was that the woman was deranged and needed to change him out of his _house pet _cat form.

And when she did, he would murder her.

"And that, my darling Itachi-kitty, is why I'm not changing you back."

Curse her to hell.

"Been there, not as fun as Purgatory."

172. Done (Sakura)

"Done!" She exclaimed happily.

Twenty page paper on the functions of the body? Check, check and check.

She jumped off her bed as she shoved her computer to the side. When her bare feet were on the ground she proceeded to stretch. It widened to a grin when she hard a quiet chuckle come from the bed.

"Good morning to you, too."

She glanced back over her shoulder and flashed him grin, "Sorry from waking you."

He snorted and shook his head, "No your not."

She danced back over to lean down and kiss him. But the hand she put on the bed to brace herself ended up on the keyboard.

Click.

She yanked back to look at what she'd done, and felt like crying.

She'd deleted her entire paper.

Itachi couldn't help but laugh.

173. Guard (Itachi)

At first it had seemed like a typical assignment to him. He was usually someone who did things for hire, ranging from baby-sitting to assassination and being a body guard for a princess didn't seem any bit out of the ordinary to him. Besides, he did need to pay his rent for the month even if the assignment did come with a catch. Sarutobi had told him what he'd been told, that it was a small catch.

And then he got there.

It was by no means a small catch.

The princess was a pink haired fey person trapped in a castle by her evil step mother and her woodland friends were the ones that had called him in to help her.

Fairy tale much?

174. Acid (Sakura)

You know those superhero stories where the completely normal – and most likely geeky or something to that degree – guy falls into a vat of acid or something equally deadly, but they don't die in fact they gain superpowers? Sakura felt like she was in one of those – and by the way, they are absurd and negate all laws of nature – well, kind of anyway.

Haruno, Sakura was a geek. Check.

She was bullied and picked on. Can be a check.

And she'd just learned from this totally hot guy who she was sure was way out of her universe – literally – that he was a hell sent familiar, ready to take any order she was willing to give.

175. "I Love You" (Itachi)

"I love you."

He froze at those words she'd uttered, soft and under her breath as she was more than halfway into unconsciousness.

The urge to tug her to wakefulness was strong, just to make sure he'd heard her right. Just to make sure that his heart wasn't playing tricks on him. For a long time now he'd been deprived of any emotion even near that ball park and here she was whispering it as she feel asleep against him.

At first he rejected it. Because it just wasn't possible. But as the night wore on, her curled snuggly and close against him a constant reminder, that maybe just maybe, it was possible.

And that was enough to sate him until he procured them out of her in the morning.

176. Hat (Sakura)

She tugged the old, worn hat further down on her head, trying – and failing – to protect her reddening ears from the numbing cold. She shifted uncomfortably and had been trying to use the article of clothing as a little bit of a shield along with her long pink hair. And she was pretty sure her face was redder than her ears and it wasn't from the cold.

It wasn't her hat, it was her brother's actually. Well at least she assumed it was his considering he'd been wearing it earlier that day at school. She'd thought nothing of his protests because it was Sasuke and Sasuke was grouch about anyone touching anything that belonged to him.

But perhaps she should have listened a little more. Because the hat? Yeah, not Sasuke's. The hat was Itachi's favorite lucky hat and he'd just caught her wearing it.

177. Eye Liner (Itachi)

It smeared and smudged as she tried to wipe away the cause of it with the back of her knuckles and hands and wrists as she sniffled. He waited until she realized that she had only made her problem worse, until she finally gave up on trying to catch all of them before they ruined her make up.

And after a few minutes she did with a mirthless laugh.

He frowned because it didn't suit her; this whole situation wasn't her scene.

But still he stepped forth and tugged her to the mirror, starting with her hands he began to clean her up.

She let him. She stayed still as the tears kept falling, turning black with the eye liner.

"Thank you, Itachi." She whispered.

178. Settle (Sakura)

She was the type of person who fidgeted. She was the type of person who couldn't sit still to save her life. But most of all she was the type of person to squirm under pressure and fidget when she lied.

Which in retrospect was a pretty horrible coincidence. Especially when she was stuck in interrogation with a stick in the mud police officer who was clearly impatient. Not that she could blame him, he'd already stated that she was his only lead in a very important case and she wasn't being very helpful.

It wasn't that she was purposely trying to be uncooperative; she simply didn't have any more information to give. And because of her fidgeting, he thought she did.

She hated habits.

179. May (Itachi)

The fifth month

Itachi is fifteen now. Sasuke seems to have finally gotten into his own life as he no longer constantly seeks Itachi's company, but he still tries for approval. His father and mother seem to be having another one of their drawn out arguments and though they keep it from Sasuke they don't bother to hide it or what's about from him.

Sakura is ten and she's grown into her 'oversized' forehead. She's found a few new friends, Ino, Naruto and Sasuke irritates her but she still likes him.

Itachi likes may because the heat of summer isn't sweltering but there's not to much rain. When there is, he spends it getting dragged around in it by Sakura.

For now, life is perfect.

180. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

Her friends were idiots. Oblivious, candy-high morons. They'd dared her to go into the old mansion near the cemetery that a long, long time ago was owned by her ancestor but switched to the Uchiha family's possession before it became a haunted house.

Practically no one knew this history, Naruto and Ino included. Hell, those two didn't even know about her – she was training to be an exorcist. So ghosts and ghouls? Yeah, they didn't scare her. Demons however… but there weren't any here; her mentor would have told her if there was.

So she'd gone into the house and what happened? She ran into a demon. Not just any demon, but a demon of lore who was responsible for the start of the Atonement.


	10. One Eighty One through Two Hundred

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Ten – One-Hundred-Eighty-One through Two-Hundred

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,180

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

**Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots:** #2 Touch, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse and #60 Writer's Choice.

**Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: **#5 First Kiss, #36 Real, #62 Shower, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #85 Dress, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #88 Heat, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #96 Time, #97 Pregnant, #98 Camping, #99 January, #100 Writer's Choice, #101 Car, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #118 Inside, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #126 Sweet, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May and #180 Writer's Choice.

Remember 110. Shoes and 109. Hospital? Well, I did it again by accident. 182. Wet should be 181 with Itachi, but I'd already written it for Sakura so I switched Wet and Happiness.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

181. Happiness (Itachi)

His own happiness was something he'd never truly thought about, not something he intended to achieve. What he cared about was if his family was okay, if they would be happy and living the lives they deserved no matter what it cost him.

They were alike in that aspect.

But somehow she'd found a way to be part of that happiness, to always be there to watch it flourish as she helped to nourish it. So when he comes across her – sleeping underneath a tree, unprotected – he takes a chance. He kidnaps her and does his best to tie her to him and hopes she can do the same for him. Because he no longer has the means or ability to do it for himself.

182. Wet (Sakura)

Sakura hummed with appreciation as she felt her body relax and loosen very hot spring water soothe her frazzled nerves. She took a deep breathe as she luxuriated in the rare opportunity, she felt she truly needed it after nightmarish hell she just been put through and would be undoubtedly forced though some more. So for now she would enjoy this small piece of heaven while it was in her grasp.

As she breathed out she allowed her green eyes to open slowly, lazily. But then she froze and shot up straight, nearly slamming her head into his nose as she did so.

His voice was quiet but she knew that tone, especially with those spinning red eyes, "You were told not to wonder."

Crap.

183. Hell (Itachi)

Stepcrunch, stepcrunch, stepsquish. He didn't glance down at the sound, he already knew. In this apocalyptic hell it wasn't hard to guess, and for his own sanity – which was already non-existent – he wasn't going to look.

"Help." The voice was feminine, quite, broken, like the owner was saying it with no hope of anyone hearing. Or helping.

He ought to know better, but something pulled him towards the voice. When he lost direction he waited for the voice again, but it didn't come.

"Speak." He called just as quiet, no one without a death wish talked louder than that anymore.

Pause, then "Help." He heard an edge of hope and moved quickly, this time determined not to lose the direction.

He found her trapped beneath rubble and blood and flesh. He bent down to see her clearly. "As long as you are aware that you will owe me for this."

184. Animal (Sakura)

"Please, Itachi?" She did her best puppy dog face she could manage, fully aware that it didn't work on him. But she had to try. "He's so cute! And you're the one who's always telling me to upgrade my security."

With that blank gaze and clearly unmovable posture she had the inkling feeling he wouldn't let her win this. So she swooped down and picked the lost little thing up. It was scruffy and clearly malnourished; it squirmed when there was no longer a ground beneath its stubby legs. "It's still a pup, but it'll have natural instincts."

Itachi's eyes seemed to analyze the animal in her arms once more – and was it her or did it squirm more? – before finally nodding. "You're taking care of him, though."

She grinned and pulled the wolf pup to her chest, "Thank you!"

185. Smile (Itachi)

Uchiha, Itachi was not the type of person to smile. He smirked and felt passing feelings of happiness, but he was to well conditioned by his family since young to truly show it. Not like her, there was always a smile lighting up her face. Be they big or small, outgoing or soft, even wistful. So, when he sees her without for the first time, he is taken off guard and is almost concerned with how much he founds himself put out. But he is and so he starts by accepting that fact.

Then, slowly, he reacts, settles into a plan of action and steps up. Because she's crying and he wants her to smile, needs her to for more than the sake of normality.

186. Theme Park (Sakura)

Sakura stared in wide-eyed wonder at the scene before her. She wasn't quite sure how to describe it since she could barely take it all in. It was bright and beautiful against the black sky of the moonless night. There were blues and reds and pinks and yellows and golds and greens and silvers from signs and light blubs.

But it was vacant.

"Where am I?" She breathed.

"In my realm." A voice whispered next to her ear – dark and quiet and sardonic. A shiver ran down her spine as she stilled, swearing that she could feel the light weight of a hand on her shoulder.

She whipped around, but she didn't see anyone.

She was alone.

Mirthless laughter resounded.

And she was losing it.

187. Control (Itachi)

Itachi was the type of person who liked control, having it and being in it. With all the uncertainty in his life, he liked knowing where he was going, liked knowing how others reacted to him and how he react to them. It was a relatively simple concept, at least to him, and it was an easy one to have. It wasn't asking that much, especially since it wasn't hard to achieve or maintain.

But life, he would learn, didn't work that way.

Sakura was the exception to everything it seemed; when she walked into a room it seemed brighter. When she smiled it made him want to know that it was for him and because of him. When she laughed, he basked in the sound. But she was an exception because she wasn't controllable – not even to herself – and she in turn made him unable to control himself either.

188. Abhor (Sakura)

Most people didn't figure her capable of hatred, figured she was too softhearted and understanding to really truly hate someone. Which meant the emotion of abhorring things and most certainly people was out of the question as well. And though she could understand that, and wished it were true. The simple matter of fact was that she did indeed hate someone. She abhorred Uchiha, Itachi for what he'd turned her in to.

He'd made her strong, made her more proud and self assured. But he'd also made her realistic, unable to close her eyes to the harsh world around them, made her hardhearted.

Most of all, he'd made her love a traitor. Made her love him. So she abhorred the number five, coconuts and clocks.

189. Clown (Itachi)

He felt like a clown. And that was pretty much the understatement of the year.

His teeth were gritted as he tried to walk in the blasted kimono he was currently wearing, as soon as he found that shark, the man was fish food. And he would enjoy torturing his partner in crime. Until then he hoped no one would recognize him.

So irritated was he, his sense didn't alert him before he ran into someone. And truth be told, the shark who had turned him into a woman and refused to allow him to change back had also suppressed his chakra. That was the last time he had any bets with the man. And not for the first time he cursed being blind.

He was brought from his stupor when he heard a female voice ask in some unidentifiable tone, "Uchiha, Itachi?"

Oh hell.

190. Decadence (Sakura)

She dropped to a crouch, determined to hold her ground as she stood in front of her charge. She was ready to bare her teeth, but that wasn't an instinct and she didn't have fangs of any sort. But her nails did elongate and her previously red hair lightened to its true pink color.

"Back off, Uchiha."

Itachi took a calm step forward, "The age of immortals is ending, Sakura."

"I don't give a damn if our age ends, that was bound to happen. But I've been taking care of this soul since I was old enough to have a charge."

"I see. You haven't changed a bit since we saw each other a millennia ago."

"Don't even go there."

And then he was right in front of her. "You will not run this time."

191. Eulogy (Itachi)

Subterfuge.

That's where his element was. He wasn't alive like fire; he wasn't a savoir like water. He was never far behind and never seen like dark.

And he'd been okay with that, resentful at points, yes, but that was to be expected. After all he'd given up everything on a simple order, an order he'd been free to refuse if he so chose to – though the outcome of it would have been less than desirable for all parties involved – and it all had been brushed under the rug. Everything he'd done for his home, in the name of his home, had gotten him farther down than six feet under; had gotten him exactly where he never wanted to be.

So for once, he let his eyes just close, let death sweep through without resistance from him.

And his eyes came wide open as it did meet opposition, because apparently life wasn't done with him.

192. Doom (Sakura)

Relief flooded her. It wasn't over yet, but hearing that on the radio she couldn't help but grin, because it meant it would be over soon. Though she had to admit, it was kind of ironic to be celebrating something called 'Doom's Day' or the more popular term 'D-day'.

But the fact of the matter was, it meant she'd survived the hardest part, now she just had the last leg of this hardship to go. Closing her green eyes, she let the window rustle her pink hair, and for a moment held completely still. Then she reopened her eyes, turned on her heel and started forward. She was a gypsy after all, and heading forth is what she did.

She came to an abrupt halt not even a full step afterwards though. A cold barrel was pressed between her shoulders and she felt like crying.

193. Room (Itachi)

White walls. Four of them. No pictures, no color. Turpentine and anesthesia. Linoleum floors.

God, how he hated this place. It was suffocating and anything but safe. But here he was, stuck in this room, on this uncomfortable bed. If he could have, he would have bolted, but as it were, his illness kept him in place. He was no fool; he couldn't go anywhere even if he wanted to. And the worst part was that he would die here, in this small town that wasn't even on most maps. He would die without anyone having ever noticed.

How unbefitting.

The door slid open and he didn't bother to look to it. Didn't give a damn about who was there.

That was his first mistake.

194. Lost (Sakura)

Green eyes closed tiredly as she let her body slump against some tree trunk near the stream. She'd been following it for hours hoping that it would lead her to civilization, and at least she would have water and food in the mean time.

But the fact of the matter was, she was lost. Completely and utterly turned around, feeling like she was going backwards and maybe upside down too.

She'd warned Tsunade that her sense of place and direction absolutely sucked. But had the woman listened? No.

And now she was lost.

Her entire body went rigid as she stopped breathing. It had been faint, maybe nothing, but it had been a rustle and she knew better than to take chances.

She almost breathed a sound of relief, when she heard the distinct sound of boots. She wasn't alone.

195. Found (Itachi)

The twigs under his feet didn't crunch, didn't break as he waked over them. The grass didn't part with ever forward motion. It was like he was a ghost, and maybe he was. After all he no longer felt alive, but he was still living. Or perhaps he wasn't even doing that, maybe he was just existing.

Did it really matter?

No, he decided, it didn't. And so the thoughts were pushed away and forgotten once more.

What mattered was that he get to where he was going.

He paused for only the briefest of moments, as he realized that his path was not devoid of life. There was a pink haired woman at the base of a tree near the river, her eyes closed.

196. Things (Sakura)

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, very scary." She kept kicking her legs as she give only half of her senses to Itachi. She was laying on her, flat on her stomach in nothing more than a tank top and shorts as she read a book.

Itachi smiled that smile of his, the one that would have freaked any sane person out. But Sakura was used to the man and his intimidating tendencies. He was the type of person who could make anything seem…sketchy. Including this apparently.

"Itachi, 'things' is not a scary word, it's a placeholder now stop abusing the Japanese language."

He cocked his head and suddenly he was right next to her, "Would you rather I abuse a different one, say body language?"

197. Prostitute (Itachi)

He tried not to cringe. The whole scene was giving him a headache, the smoke, the alcohol, the women. He liked sake every now and again, but he hated coming to places like these. Little out of the way bars. The only reason he was here, was because his contact would meet nowhere else, why was beyond him. All he cared about was getting the information and getting gone.

But the man was late, completely late.

A woman slide into the stool beside him.

"Hey." He nodded, but still didn't look at her.

"Hello. Are we going to talk or what? You are the one who wants my information, aren't you?"

He whipped around only to come face to face with an amused Haruno, Sakura.

198. Paragraph (Sakura)

She sighed to herself, making a mental list of the best ways to murder Naruto, "Fuck."

The man across from her didn't even glance up, "That's five more pages, Ms. Haruno."

She scowled. Stupid teachers with supersonic hearing. Stupid best friends who get their 'good-two-shoe' friends in trouble just cause they can. She officially hated her life. "Itachi-sensei, how am I supposed to write ten pages on paragraphs?"

"By using your imagination."

"But you said it had to be factual."

"You aren't getting out of this Sakura."

She huffed and started doodling on the page.

"That's not writing."

"You said I have until tomorrow."

"Then let me correct myself, you have only today, in this class room, to finish it."

Yep. Definitely hated her life.

199. June (Itachi)

The sixth month.

Itachi is sixteen now. Sasuke is one year from graduation, but Fugaku is pressuring him to become a genin this year. The preteen is too stubborn, though, and refuses to advance ahead of his friends. Mikoto has mostly won that argument that she and his father are still having, but Itachi knows it's only bought him a year or two at best.

Sakura's not so attached to his hip anymore. Between her training, and his work, the two haven't spent as much time together as usual. It begins to worry him some, until he sees her again. Her green eyes seem to light up the second they catch his and she immediately comes to him. She's still growing up, he reminds himself, and he can't do it for her.

So he focuses on Konoha's latest problem, the tensions between Konoha and Suna.

200. Writer's Choice (Itachi)

Right, that's why he hated St. Patrick's day. He didn't own green and for some reason or another had juvenile enough friends that they would all pinch him. How irritating, even his little brother and Uzuamki had joined in. One would think he would buy something green after years of this torture, but he always forgot to.

So here he was, in the English office, _hiding _from his friends. March 17th sucked.

The door opened and hoped it wasn't a teacher. But it was a student, female, pink hair. Didn't she hang out with Sasuke from time to time?

Then he saw her shirt. "Are you really?"

She didn't even pause, "Yep. So do I get a kiss?"

He chuckled, "Do you pinch?"

"I bite."


	11. Two oh One through Two Twenty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Eleven – Two-Hundred-One through Two-Hundred-Twenty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,130

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #5 First Kiss, #2 Touch, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #74 Tall and #75 "Pleased to Meet You".

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #36 Real, #62 Shower, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #77 Suicide, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #85 Dress, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #88 Heat, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #96 Time, #97 Pregnant, #98 Camping, #99 January, #100 Writer's Choice, #101 Car, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #106 Karma, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #118 Inside, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #126 Sweet, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May and #180 Writer's Choice.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

201. Make (Itachi)

"Making a wish."

"For what?"

"Telling makes it not happen."

"Sakura, stop using the word 'make' in every sentence."

"Butbut, remember, it's my goal for today. To see if I can say 'make' every time I open my mouth."

He closed his eyes, as much as he loved the small woman, she could be completely absurd sometimes. "Fine. If you insist."

She grinned. "I do – make – insist."

This garnered a scowl, "At least have your sentences make sense."

"Noooo. Then I'd never win at my make-challenge."

"Sakura."

All he got was an unrepentant smile and large green eyes.

Oh, she was asking for it. So he took a few quick steps and leaned down, kissing her. She responded immediately, and just to spite her, he coaxed her into opening her mouth. What came out was not 'make' but a moan.

202. Photo-graph (Sakura)

Pictures lined the wall, not in any specific order, not in nice neat rows or columns. She liked it that way, it reminded her that her life too had been all over the place and mere wall was the least she could do for a dedication. The wall itself was painted as well, a soft blue with grass green on the bottom and a tree near the corner. The tree was large and bare, all the cherry blossoms on the ground. She'd asked Sai to paint it that way.

Taking a step back, she admired the newest collection. It was a family portrait, three children and a woman who looked exactly like her and her most precious person in the whole world was beside her.

203. Depth (Itachi)

For the first time, he was hit with the full force of this problem he'd created. He had thought using her would get him the rest of what he wanted; that she would be strong enough to withstand what most with her status and abilities could not because the simple matter of fact was that this particular konuichi didn't just have heart. She had will and backbone and she was not shy about using any of them no matter what. She didn't need justification, she didn't need to be right to do something, but she never lost her loyalty either.

And he realized quite suddenly that he wanted her for himself. For once, he wanted to keep something that was so clearly in his possession.

Now he had to choice. Use her or keep her.

204. Desire (Sakura)

"Your wish is my command."

Sakura froze and whipped around to see him straitening out, a small smirk on his face. And that was when she knew. "You tricked me." How could he? He'd become the only person she could trust. Had he really taken all that time to get to know her just so he could succeed where all the others had failed?

"No. You fooled yourself; I simple chose not to correct you."

She felt her nose sting and knew the tears weren't far behind. "You bastard."

But he was already on her, arms wrapping around her much smaller body as he pulled her to him. Then he dipped his head down and captured her lips; "Now, my little master, you are mine."

205. Frown (Itachi)

He almost sighed, but settled for frowning, "Sakura."

"No!"

"Be reasonable."

"I am, Itachi. And reason tells me this is the best course of action."

"Think this through, Sakura. What will be the consequences if you do this?"

"I'll get in major trouble. And I don't care. It's wrong what they did to you, down right wrong."

"It's in the past."

"It's affecting you now."

His eyes sharpened and he took a few steps towards her, intimidating aura in every step. "What happens to me is not your problem."

She stared back without even so much as flinching, "Like hell it isn't."

Dark eyes pinned her with an intensity he'd not ever turned on her. But nothing made the pink haired girl back down. After a moment, he offered her a wary smile. "Alright, but you aren't doing this alone."

206. Jet Plane (Sakura)

He had his own jet plane. Of course he did, he was the infamous Uchiha, Itachi. Well, famous actually, but it really should be infamous because honestly, the guy was a complete and utter jackass. And he could go burn in hell for all she cared.

Her thoughts must of have shown on her face because he leaned over the table that was the only thing between them, a smirk was on his pretty face, "Now, now, Sakura. Be civil."

"I didn't say anything." She spat.

"Didn't have to." He drew to a stop when he was just close enough that she could feel his breath on her lips. She refused to blush.

And then he sat back in his seat and watched her fume.

207. Let Go (Itachi)

The hardest part of love was letting go. Itachi knew this by experience, his first lover, his little brother. He had to let them both go their own way.

What's meant to be will come back to you. It seemed he was always learning new adages like this one. And each one seemed to be harder than the last.

All he could do was stare stiffly, shock just beneath the surface, as his little brother walked into his office clearly awkward but in need of help. And his little love – the one who'd found him he lost his first – was right beside him, smiling that smile, the one that said everything and to stop stalling because it wasn't helping.

This was going to be hard

208. Distract (Sakura)

Sakura had always told herself that no, she did not have a short attention span. Because she could stay focused on something for a long time, remember and keep to it without the reminder to do so. But the fact of the matter was that this was only true some of the time.

The rest of it…

"Will you stop changing the subject?"

Black eyes glittered, "Maybe, if you agree to dinner."

She blinked once, then twice. He'd just asked her out? Uchiha, Itachi had just asked her out? Slowly she nodded.

He smirked, "See you at seven." And then he was gone before she could try to react.

And he'd won yet again. Groaning, she realized he was not good for her attention span.

209. Believe Me (Itachi)

Not for the first time, he thought about how hard this was going to be. How there was a damn good chance that it wouldn't work, that Sasuke wouldn't listen.

But he had to try. After all these years, it was the least he could do.

He was being offered the chance to come back to Konoha on the condition that he could bring Sasuke with him, willingly. He wouldn't be off scot-free of course – he didn't expect there not to be – but they wouldn't be anything severe. Sakura had assured him it would just be surveillance and confinement to the village for two years. It was more than fair.

Now he just needed to find his little brother and try to talk to him.

210. Machine (Sakura)

Oh crap. Crapcrapcrap. She hadn't meant to, she really hadn't.

But the fact remained that she had.

She took a faltering step back feeling a hell of a lot like Frankenstein, except Dr. Frankenstein made his monster, and she…well, she didn't. She just accidently woke one up. And the term monster was being used very loosely.

She didn't know what he was, but he was drop dead gorgeous and she was pretty sure that it wasn't a good thing that he'd just zeroed in on her. For every step she took backward, he took one forward.

Then she ran into a wall, simultaneously noticing that the only way out of this room was behind him.

She cleared her throat and he halted. His head tilted, his eyes seemed to observe her for a moment and then he copied the noise.

211. Cry (Itachi)

"Uzumaki, Naruto." Said boy froze just before he got out the door. Sakura and Sasuke glanced at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Yes, sensei?"

"This was a very important assignment."

"And I took it seriously."

"You said you were a 'pizza eating, son of a devil, demon slayer because your favorite anime character inspired you to be that.'"

Sakura face-palmed. It didn't matter how true the statement was, mortals weren't supposed to know about the existence of demons.

"Oh…I meant that in a very figurative way. Touchy subject, later sensei!" And the blonde vanished out the door.

"Do you want to call Itachi or should I?"

Sasuke raised his eyebrow, "You. He'll kill the moron otherwise."

Sakura blinked, surprised. "What's that suppose to mean?"

212. Over (Sakura)

She winced and shifted her grip, aware that if she didn't hurry up she was going to lose it entirely. But hell, she never would have though hanging onto something for dear life while trying to pull oneself up with the motivation of endless looking abyss would actually be hard. But the fact of the matter was, her adrenaline was just not kicking in hard enough because no matter how many times she tried to put all her strength in her arms and pull, she couldn't get up.

Huffing, she tilted her head back to look into the eyes of the man who had been standing over her watching the entire time. "Are you going to ask for help?"

"Not if it means admitting defeat."

213. Space (Itachi)

He was used to space, used to not having anyone worry too much about him, not having to think of someone else in every decision. But that's what marriage entailed, making choices together, always being mindful of his spouse and knowing that she owned him just as much as he owned her.

And space? Forget it. Sakura didn't do space anyway, in fact he was pretty sure she'd forgotten the definition of the word, when he chose to get closer to her he chose to give up personal space.

But he supposed it all worked out because she was always surprising him, flowers, kisses, 'I love you's and undivided attention and affection. She knew how to back off and when to cross the line and he wouldn't have anyone else.

214. Free (Sakura)

There was no such thing as free, because even freedom has a price. She can't help but ponder this fact as she is settled uncomfortable in a small wooden chair, angled enough for her to keep a good eye on the metal bars behind her but not enough for her to keep her back to the prisoner inside.

He's leaning against the far wall, dark eyes that blend into the surroundings but not his face watching her every movement. The book in her lap has been all but forgotten.

She glances behind her, right into his eyes. They're captivating in a way, intense. She wonders what they would have looked like before he ended up in such a horrible situation. The she turned back to the wall across from her and closes her eyes, leaning her against the dirty wall.

215. Shopping (Itachi)

He couldn't believe he was doing this. When he told her that he would do anything for her, he did not think that included…shopping. And especially not for things such as female necessities at that time of the month. But it wasn't like he could do nothing about it; he was trying to make sure that the Konoha shinobi didn't find catch them until he wanted to. And that meant stopping the bleeding.

He had to consciously force himself to pick up each foot and place it in front of the other until he was at the proper section. Glancing around at the selection, he realized he should have at least asked his pretty little captive which kind. Some part of him made a small remark, this was completely humiliating, no man especially an s-class criminal should have to do this.

For the first time ever, he hated his rules.

216. Mind (Sakura)

Cursing under her breath, she took a few quick steps back and then spun on her heel to start off in a different direction. She would not be trapped like a mouse nor would she be chased by one. Especially not by some arrogant asshole who had clearly never been told 'no' in his life.

But it would be just her luck that said man would be not only a genius but a very dangerous individual who could easily get what he wanted whenever he so chose.

The other fact of the matter was, he'd already blocked off all her exit routes and he was slowly crowding her towards the center.

So in all reality, yes she was a mouse and this forest was her maze and she was waiting for him to catch her.

217. Impression (Itachi)

Itachi smirked lightly, settling himself so that he straddled her waist and kept all four limbs down. He leaned in close but before he could say anything, feet landed mere inches away, causing him to jerk his head up.

Before the two of them stood the only blonde in Konoha. His eyes were wide and he looked about ready to pass out. "Why, Sakura, why?"

In the back of his mind he thought about how amusing it would be to see her fix this and then he realized his little brother was in a tree with a full vantage point to think the same thing.

His smirk turned to a frown, looking down distractedly as Sakura groaned, "I hope you know how to rectify _that_."

218. Ignorant (Sakura)

Sasuke always said that she was ignorant and naïve, and though she didn't mind the latter, the former irritated her. Each time she would defend that, no she was not ignorant, if he was so sure that she was, where the hell was his proof? Sometimes he'd have a retort and other times that would be the end of it.

However, right then, she felt justified in saying that there was no one more ignorant than Naruto. She loved the guy, like brother in fact. But sometimes…sometimes he left her dumbfounded. Right now, being one of those times.

"Naruto, I thought you knew Itachi and I were dating…so it should be surprising that we're getting married."

He kept looking at her like a kicked puppy.

219. July (Itachi)

The seventh month.

Itachi is seventeen now, almost eighteen. If there was a time where he felt like Sasuke would be fine being left to his own devices, it didn't exist any longer because frankly, the boy worried him to no end. His parents had finally agreed to disagree on their argument, mostly because he'd decided to step in and tell them that he did intend to marry someone, he was just waiting for her to agree was all. Which wasn't entirely a lie, since he was indeed waiting. He just hadn't asked the rosette yet.

Sakura herself was doing pretty well, she'd grown by leaps and bounds since passing the genin exams and was well on her way to be a medical ninja. He knew that would be the best route for her, and was more than willing to purposely end up with injuries just so she could practice.

220. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

She slide into her already running car and closed the door lightly. Tossing her stuff in the passenger seat she settled into her seat and readied herself for the long day ahead. Glancing in the side mirrors she was satisfied to see no one coming but before she went she chided herself on almost forgetting the review mirror. She always did. So she glanced up. And froze.

There was someone in her back seat.

Male. Most likely taller than her. Clothing dirty and turn. Tangled hair. And gorgeous.

Not to mention, there was a good chance he was dangerous.

She took a deep breath and tried to get her racing mind to focus. There was the chance he was just some homeless guy. After all it was freezing and snowing outside and her car was running and warm.

So what the hell should she do?


	12. Two Twenty One through Two Forty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Twelve – Two-Hundred-Twenty-One through Two-Hundred-Forty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,157

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

**Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots:** #5 First Kiss, #2 Touch, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, and #97 Pregnant.

**Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots:** #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #99 January, #100 Writer's Choice, #101 Car, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #106 Karma, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #118 Inside, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #126 Sweet, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #220 Writer's Choice.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

221. Why (Itachi)

Knowledge was a powerful thing to have, one that Itachi liked very much to have. The best way, to obtain it, he'd found, was by simply asking a question.

That did not mean he enjoyed this case Sakura seemed to be having fun with. "Sakura."

"Why?"

Frowning, he tried to push his irritation away. "No."

"Why?"

"Stop asking."

"Why?"

He couldn't tell if she was just being stubborn or if she really did have a death wish.

"Because."

She didn't miss a beat, "Why?"

It was a mix of both. The only thing that stayed his hand was that he was supposed to be saving her ass, not killing it. He opted to simply not say anything, that way she couldn't respond.

Bliss.

Pause. "Itachi?"

222. Marriage (Sakura)

As a kid, Sakura had dreamed of what her wedding would be like. What she never thought about was the proposal. After all, what was there to fantasize about? Her dream guy gets down on one knee, she gasps, he asks and she says yes between tears and kisses.

Now she realized that she really should have. Because her proposer wasn't even her boyfriend and he definitely wasn't following the above process.

Her initial surprise and confusion quickly turned to indignation, "Itachi, just because you kiss someone and put a ring on their ring finger, doesn't mean you can forgo asking." She realized belatedly that wasn't the argument she wanted to use right off the bat.

He smiled, "I'm aware, but you already said yes."

223. Can (Itachi)

He paused, holding up a finger in the universal 'give me a moment' way when he felt the phone in his back pocket vibrate. Much to his surprise, the phone he pulled out was green with orange flicks of paint still on it. Why did he have Sakura's phone? Frowning, he realized that he must have accidentally grabbed hers this morning.

Pushing that aside he looked at the caller ID. And for a moment, Itachi merely stared before finally answering "Sakura, why do you have a picture of a robot associated with my name?"

There was a slight pause. "Itachi, that's the Tin Man."

He didn't saying thing.

"You know, from the Wizard of Oz? Haven't you ever seen it?"

He made a mental note to ask Sasuke about that later. "Why'd you call?"

"Oh, because–" silence. "I forgot."

224. Pretty (Sakura)

A scowl overtook her mouth as she studied her reflection, finally she sighed and crossed her arms as she turned to her companion.

Said companion grinned, traces of amusement she hadn't bothered to hide quickly turning into fits of laughter as she tried to speak, "It's not that bad Forehead."

"Nooo, of course not, I just look like the bride of Frankenstein is all." Sarcasm dripped from every word.

Ino wasn't fazed in the slightest however; in fact, she seemed more focused on trying to keep a straight face.

More than a little irritated, Sakura huffed and skirted the blonde, heading straight for the door. But she didn't make it five steps into the hallway before she literally ran into her date.

He blinked, "Sakura?"

225. Travel (Itachi)

Itachi was the type of person who came off as a psychopath rather than a pacifist. And most of the time he found himself mistaken for a demon rather than the priest that he actually was. Imagine his surprise when a pink haired girl was able to get right on the first try.

He'd been visiting a temple that related to the case he was currently working with, but as he got to the top of the stone stairs, he saw a young girl simple standing a few feet before it. He paused, waiting to see what came next.

Finally after a moment, she glanced back and he realized she was a teenager, not a child, "I don't think you're going to have an easy time with this one, Priest."

226. Orgasm (Sakura)

Sakura couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips. How could she not when her taste buds were overloaded as much as they were now? Eyelids slipped shut, hiding the fact that her eyes had all but rolled into the back of her head.

She licked again, loving the taste as she did so. A hum escaped her lips as she focused on what was giving her so much pleasure, licking it yet again.

The arms so securely wrapped around the bare skin of her midsection tightened, squeezing almost, as they pulled her further back into the chest of the man they belonged to. Thin lips pressed against her pulse at the back of her neck.

She smiled, "Thank you, Itachi."

"For what?"

She licked the hard candy in her grasp again. "For the lollipop."

227. Good (Itachi)

As a young prodigy, Itachi always knew more than those his age, and even those twice or thrice it. That was simply the way he was, but as time passed and he grew older, being he began to wonder if it was a burden. On top of his advantage he was the heir to the Uchiha clan, one couldn't get much more powerful by birthright alone.

But through even when he noticed the minute changes in those around him, even when his own family edged away, he never once wished it away. Because it had given him the ability to do his best to keep the spotlight off Sasuke, to give the boy a chance to grow.

It had also given him the chance to find someone to identify with, someone he would have overlooked had the circumstance been different.

228. Bad (Sakura)

It was human nature to want exactly what one could not have. Sakura had known that, but she didn't think it extended to her in this way. She didn't think herself an angel or saint, she knew better than to think that – especially with all of those 'you're mean' comment from Naruto – but she knew she stood for something good, wanted to always stand for the good of others.

So she supposed that with all of that said, it was almost understandable why she fell in love with Uchiha, Itachi. Almost.

And she figured there was something wrong with her – she loved one of the most wanted criminals who'd damaged her personally after all – until she found out why did the things he did.

Now she just figured they were both crazy. Which of course, made everything so much better.

229. Skill (Itachi)

There are so many ways one person can be different from the next, Itachi knows. Some more than others, like say, a genius or a pink haired teen. Life is full of surprises that way. But the point of it is to find the ones that work with one's specific life. Each person defined by what they're best at.

And Itachi found he was best at getting under Haruno, Sakura's skin, it was simply unfortunate that he couldn't make even a part-time job out of it. But he could make himself the boss of a company of some sort and make her his assistant.

And he knew Sakura wouldn't refuse if he asked her to work for him, even if the line of work meant getting teased and picked. So he started a detective agency.

230. Famous (Sakura)

She hummed as the scent of caramel reached her nose; she loved the smell of it. Especially when she knew it was in her hands and all she had to do was bring it her lips a drink the sweet flavored coffee.

Sakura heard the snort that came from somewhere just behind her and to her left but ignored it. "Coffee fiend." The voice murmured in that deep set voice of his.

It was mornings like this that made everything worth it, coffee in hand and pretty boyfriend right next to her. "Good morning to you too, Itachi."

This time it was him who hummed as she leaned back into him, letting him take to coffee mug from her hands so that he could take a drink, "Good morning, Sakura.

231. Rape (Itachi)

Her breathing came fast as it came out in whimpers and almost screams. This was really happening, she realized. No amount of struggling was going to get her hands free, no amount of kicking was going to get him off her hips.

She was going to be raped by some drunkard because she'd walked some alley way at night, alone.

She felt hot tears begin to slide down her cheeks as fumbling hands tried to unzip her skirt.

But suddenly the weight was gone, suddenly very different hands were grabbing her body. Her eyes flew open as she looked to had done so, not missing as the guy who'd tried to rape her run off. And one look behind her told her that she'd jumped out of the frying pan and straight into the fire.

232. Under (Sakura)

"Darling it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me, up on the shore they work all day, out in the sun they slave away, while we devotin', full time to floatin'. Under the sea~!" Sakura's mouth snapped shut when suddenly the music she'd been listening to – not to mention dancing in place – was shut off.

Blinking, she turned towards the radio to see Itachi standing there, the oddest look on his face.

Naturally, she pouted. "Awww, 'Tachi, I was having fun impersonating Sebastian."

The look only intensified and she couldn't help but double over in laughter.

When she'd finally settled long enough to sit up straight she found herself still subjected to that look.

"Who is…Sebastian?"

She was speechless, "The crab from…Itachi do you live under a rock?"

233. Alien (Itachi)

"So let me get this straight, aliens exist."

Itachi nodded.

"And they're coming here."

"Correct."

"Because they want to suck out my brain, eat it and replace it with something synthetic so they can control my body?"

Almost smiling, Itachi nodded yet again.

Three, two… "SAKURA!"

The black haired man's pretty girlfriend poked her head into her office where the two were settled. Well, Itachi was, Naruto was currently running around like a headless chicken.

Sakura took one look at her brother and then glared at Itachi. "I told you not to do that."

He stared back, and after a moment gave her a smile.

Huffing, she rolled her eyes and began attending to her idiot who was babbling faster than the speed of light.

234. Play (Sakura)

"Stop."

Sakura almost groaned, but she did as told, cutting herself off midline to turn to the tall black haired teacher who was perhaps a little too nitpicky, resigning herself to his criticism.

Not surprisingly, he didn't bother to make it nice, "It's not enough."

She wanted to snort and say 'gee, thanks' but settled for, "What?"

"Everything." He turned, telling the others to take a break. When they'd filed out of sight he moved to settle beside her on stage. "Now, let's do this again, and this time, get it right."

Taken off her nonchalant, if slightly irritated, attitude, she tried not to choke. "Itachi-sensei…are you saying you'll play Lysander?" Because that meant–

"Of course."

She was going to be kissing her drama teacher.

235. Stolen (Itachi)

She smiled, nodding at him with ease before turning and heading in the direction that would take her to where she'd originally been heading. With ease and a slight smile of his own, Itachi turned on his heel and headed in the opposite direction to his own predestination.

But he paused when he felt something amiss, glancing back, the pink haired woman was out of sight already, but still the feeling wouldn't settle.

Why? After all, nothing but content and ease had taken over him during their meeting and yet here just moments after something felt almost wrong.

And then he realized just what was wrong when he glanced down. He was holding Sakura's treasured necklace in his hands, the one she never parted with.

236. Lover (Sakura)

As a workaholic and an up and coming classical musician, one word that was never actively in her vocabulary was lover. At the age of twenty-three, Sakura had never gone past make-out sessions with ex-boyfriends. And to be honest, she didn't see anything wrong with it either, after all, work was important and she needed to focus if she was going to sustain herself.

But clearly fate – in the form of a very nosy blonde – had other ideas.

Somehow she ended up stuck on a blind date with Uchiha, Itachi. But the point of this was not just a date, as Ino had told her – and made sure she was prepared her – for a more one-night-stand type of date.

And she didn't know how to get out of this one.

237. Underling (Itachi)

Both boys glanced between each other then at the Uchiha heir. He seemed almost nonchalant in an expectant way as he waited for their answer. It was simple, yes or no. And with the way Itachi had laid everything out, it was hard not to see what a good idea it was, the logic irrefutable.

Sure it would cost them a little, but for what they'd be getting in return? It seemed more than worth it. Deals with Itachi always were.

They looked back at each other before finally nodding.

Itachi smirked faintly and nodded back, clearly satisfied that he would be getting what he wanted.

Now all they had to do was convince their pretty sister that it was a good idea as well.

238. Callous (Sakura)

Mannerisms were a part of life, one didn't always act the exact same way with everyone and anyone. At least, that had been Sakura's understanding all the way up until Itachi. She couldn't figure the guy out with how his face was always carefully blank and his voice a flat monotone.

At first she'd been off put, the next time she'd been slightly offended, and the next she was confused.

By the fourth time she'd settled on determination. After all, Sakura was nothing if not painfully confrontational. Something needed to be done about that mask of his. So she saw no reason her that she should be change her approach in this, especially seeing as she was stuck in an arranged marriage with the guy.

239. August (Itachi)

The eighth month.

Itachi is nineteen now. Sasuke still worries him, but he's finally decided that the boy will simply have to figure things out for himself. Fugaku and the rest of the clan elders are getting antsy as he still hasn't even mentioned just who he has his eyes on, but said girl was still not even fifteen and so he was still waiting. And they would simply have to deal with that.

At the age of fourteen, Sakura has already made her way into the hospital, most of the nurses even look to her for answers. He would guess that all her practice had paid off, and now he founds himself teaching her snatches of genjutsu because it means more time with her.

240. Writer's Choice (Itachi)

Itachi watched with barely suppressed amusement as the teenager next to him glared at the blank paper. He knew that he should speak up, tell her the word she was looking for, but what was the fun in that? It was so much easier and so much more entertaining to sit back and watch as she grappled with her brain. And inevitably lost.

The irony wasn't lost on him that the word she was looking for but couldn't think of was the very word that named her problem.

Finally she huffed, tossed her pencil against the desk and turned towards the window.

He couldn't help but chuckle as he leaned over and wrote the word that wouldn't come on her paper.

"Show off." She muttered.


	13. Two Forty One through Two Sixty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Thirteen – Two-Hundred-Forty-One through Two-Hundred-Sixty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,380

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

**Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots:** #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #106 Karma, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #117 Gentle, #119 February and #120 Writer's Choice.

**Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots:** #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #101 Car, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #110 Shoes, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #126 Sweet, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August and #240 Writer's Choice.

Also, for those of you that remember back to some of the beginning chapters: 245 Remind is a continuation of 57 Werewolf, 256 Write is set some time after 192 Doom (okay that one's not so early chapter-wise but oh well) and 260 Writer's Choice is set in the same verse as 55 Accident.

…I did it. Again. This time it is 249 and 250 that I switched, by accident I assure you. At any rate, Will was supposed to be number 249 but since I wrote for Sakura I switched it with Fantastic.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

241. Me (Itachi)

Growing up without individualism took its toll. Growing up while being told what he wanted didn't matter, that the clan was more important, took its toll. There was only so much one person could bend before they broke. Or before they snapped back. But he wasn't sure what he did, was it submitting, was it letting them take the rest of him or was it taking himself back.

It hurt to take their lives, but once it was over some invisible weight felt lifted. So where did that leave him?

Confused, isolated, reaching.

All things that he thought would never be cured, things he'd live with until he died. Which also left him at resigned.

But clearly, she hadn't liked that idea all too much.

242. Make Up (Sakura)

Sakura tried her best to fix her make up, tried to wipe away the black that had mixed with water and run down her cheeks. But between shaking hands and still running tears, it wasn't exactly working.

A mirthless laugh bubbled to her lips and she didn't bother to hide how pathetic it sounded.

After all, here she was, black dress ripped and stained, purse messing along with her phone and wallet, barefoot, missing contact and messy hair. But most of all, she was stranded with no way to get home and not idea how to attempt it.

She turned to the door only to see a dark haired man – was it her or did he look like that serial killer that was on the news this morning? – standing there.

243. Beg (Itachi)

He would not get down on his knees and do this. In fact, he wasn't even going to apologize, he knew he'd been out of line, but he was not going to turn around and beg forgiveness when he was only doing as he was suppose to. What had to be done. And nothing his little brother or his parents said would change that.

So, Itachi turned on his heel and started walking with no intention of stopping.

He didn't even blink when the rosette feel into step beside him. He didn't pull back when she reached for his hand, interlacing their fingers as she did so. "Where are we going, Itachi?"

He didn't pause, didn't look down, didn't look back. "Anywhere you want, Sakura."

244. Forget (Sakura)

She almost huffed, almost screamed, almost pulled out her hair. Almost. All she did was slump in her chair, let her head fall in her hands and close her eyes. When she'd left her home this morning, she'd felt as if something was missing. But it had seemed unwarranted, so she'd continued on her way without so much as a backwards glance.

And now she was paying for it.

She'd forgotten a key document that he needed in his grasp. How could she be so forgetful?

A hand settled on her shoulder, applying on a little weight that would be the prelude to the kiss placed on the point where her jaw connected to her skull at the bottom of her ear. "You forgot again."

245. Remind (Itachi)

The words ricocheted in his head as he found himself thinking over her words for the umpteenth time. After all, one didn't forget somebody like her too easily. Not only had she clearly stick out with her pink hair and doe-like green eyes, but she'd told him that she knew exactly what he was, and hadn't even been bothered by it.

And then he'd learned that she was his little brother's best friend, one of the few who could stand him and who the younger wanted to keep around.

It would pose a problem if he wanted to get to know her any better, figure out how that lineage of hers worked, how she worked. But being a half-breed had proved challenging as well, so he didn't see the problem with taking on another one.

246. Sympathetic (Sakura)

Munching on the pocky stick that was still more than halfway out of her mouth, Sakura flipped the page of her book. Her green eyes moved to the top line of the next page even as she brought her arm back from the relatively thick book propped against her legs and settled her hand against her mug of coffee, leeching the warmth from it. There was nothing in the world like curling up with a good back on the couch, armed with a large mug of steaming hot coffee and chocolate flavored pocky.

Not unless Uchiha, Itachi was in the equation.

Said man chose then to pad into their living room, stopping behind her. He proceeded to lean down, his face appearing upside down as it came into her vision. He bit off a piece of the pocky dangling from her lips before walking away.

247. Speak (Itachi)

He watched as she opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She closed her mouth, slightly perturbed before opening it again to try once more. Still nothing. This time her jaw closed with a click, irritation skittering across her features.

Her lips parted slightly with the sigh that she emitted, but again she looked thrown off. It didn't take him much to realize that she'd intended vocal sound with that whoosh of breath. Sound that didn't come.

And it also didn't take much figuring past that to understand one simple thing.

He stepped towards her, awkwardly reaching out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

Green eyes widened, but his words were all it took for tears to well and fall like bullets down her cheeks.

Haruno, Sakura was muted in the accident.

248. Wonder (Sakura)

It was a wonder she wasn't insane yet. Being stuck with four men who'd committed the heinous crimes they had should not have been so easy to get along with. They should not have been so natural to fit between, especially with the knowledge that they were using her. Using her as bait to lure out her best friend so that they could kill him.

Oh she should definitely be insane.

After all, Itachi could be considered to have psychosis; Deidara had to be sociopathic to get the pleasure from blowing up things like he did. And she didn't even know what to call Kisame or Sasori; results of too much war and deceit and suffering perhaps?

But she hadn't felt so happy in years, and she didn't want to be insane to be happy.

249. Fantastic (Itachi)

How did one manage to hyperventilate, talk and panic all at one time as a show of excitement? Easily.

Itachi finds himself caught somewhere between nonchalant and growing steadily irritated by the assault his ears are taking because of his prettily little wife.

"Sakura." It's a long shot that just stating her name will work, but since it usually does, it's worth a try.

It doesn't, she keeps going.

"Sakura." He tries again.

No affect.

Sighing to himself, he climbs to his feet and deliberately puts himself in her path. The much smaller woman collides with his chest and he uses the chance to wrap his arms around her. Leaning down he whispers in her ear, "We'll get through it."

And just like that, she calms down, nodding with acceptingly.

250. Will (Sakura)

Most parents or grandparents – or all together elder relatives – who die end up willing money or land to someone of their choosing in the younger generation. Even if say, that recently dead relative is someone that the person on the receiving end of the will didn't know that well. Because truly, what else is there to will?

But Sakura's family isn't as small as she first thought, especially not when her great-great-grandmother wills a person, like of the living kind, to her.

And to be honest, the young doctor in training who was more than comfortable with her lot in life until she finds a fallen angel in her kitchen at five in the morning, pristine envelope in front of him with a small, long box on top and her favorite cup in his hands.

251. Steal (Itachi)

"Sakura."

She hummed lightly to acknowledge he'd called her name but she still didn't look up.

Frowning slightly, he took a few steps towards her, stopping only when he'd skirted the table so that he could se what had her undivided attention. It was a report, a mission report. Cataloging that knowledge in the back of his mind, he settled on the task of getting her undivided attention.

After a moment she still didn't and he found himself slightly irritated. But he knew how to get what he wanted.

Leaning down, he angled his body so that he could easily close the gap between them and kiss her.

She jerked up straight, eyes wide open and trained him, "I was listening, Itachi, and our agreement was that if I listen then you don't steal kisses."

252. Mask (Sakura)

Sakura was not the type of person to hide her feeling; in fact she tended to wear her heart on her sleeve. The rosette had been warned time and again that it would cost her, would get her and even her loved ones hurt if she kept it up, she was shinobi after all and shinobi weren't supposed to show emotion. But no matter how she tried, she was simply no good with masking anything.

And she wasn't about to start.

She padded softly, aware that her capture was a very light sleeper and the only reason he was dozing was because she'd been reduced to harmless. Once she was beside him, she reached for the covers underneath his stiff straight body and started moving, easing the bedding so that he was covered and tucked in.

Before she could pull away, his eyes flashed open and he grabbed her wrist.

253. Warm (Itachi)

Finally, warily, he nodded. He wasn't going to risk his life for sleeping in a close proximity of someone else – especially when he knew said person will enough to know he was not in danger – inbred training be damned.

She rewarded him with a small smile, devoid of triumph, and patted the area on the bed beside her. Slowly, the padded forward, settling on the small twin-sized bed.

The moment he was comfortable in the position he wanted, she invaded his personal space. He stiffened as she shifted her body to accommodate his, she wrapped an arm around his middle and nudged her legs under his, eventually just letting her head fall on his shoulder.

It didn't take him long to realize that having her in so close was quickly heating up his body, leveling out at just warm enough.

254. Sour (Sakura)

She couldn't help it as she doubled over in her seat with laughter. His face was just too priceless not to.

The younger girl didn't need to look up at her boyfriend to know he was scowling at her, because really, it was her fault. She accepted that, after all she'd given him the candy, encouraging him to put it in his mouth just to see how he'd react. She knew she had no taste whatsoever for the sour taste, but Itachi could be so sheltered to the simplicities of life that she didn't want to stop herself.

Finally, she straightened her posture, a grin still on her face.

He was still scowling. "I'm not going to eat that candy again."

She started laughing again.

255. Starving (Itachi)

It was sickening, they were sickening; the photos cover his desk. His intention had been to look for similarities, anything to help them along in this case, they were stuck so soundly that it was almost aggravating rather than just irking. It had been a long time since he found himself stuck on any case.

But this one simply had him stumped.

No matter how much he had, photos, evidence, it didn't seem to help him at all. It was as if the killer had allowed him to find what they had because the man knew it wouldn't bring him down and that only served to further frustrate Itachi.

He pushed back from his desk and padded towards the room where the only victim, a pink haired teen, had managed to escape with her life.

256. Write (Sakura)

Dear Itachi,

To be honest, I don't know why I'm writing this. I suppose in some way it soothes my nerves, or maybe just puts my mind at ease. It makes me feel like I'm taking to you and it's been so long since I've had that privilege.

I long to speak to you again, face to face.

But I know that's not even the slightest practical, not with you still so dedicated to this war. I feel the need to thank you for that again, if it weren't for you, I don't think I would have gotten out alive. It's almost embarrassing to say out loud, but this is a letter so I don't quite mind. Thank you, my savior.

I hope when you get this you are well and making it through,

Haruno, Sakura

PS: I know you hate it when I don't address you by title, but just deal with it okay?

257. Presence (Itachi)

Itachi enjoys the fact that all it takes for her to calm down is a touch, all it takes for her to smile is a glance, but most of all, all it takes to make her entire day, is simply being there. He enjoys it to the point of almost taking pride in it. Especially with how rocky their relationship had started off.

But if he is to be perfectly honest, she holds power over him, too. He basks in the slightest of smiles from her, his anger which is normally so dormant is quick to stir if she's been treated and worry festers like an ever-present wound when she is hurt.

No matter how much he affects her, she affects him so much more.

258. Shelter (Sakura)

For a second, all she does is breathe; she doesn't think or feel, she simply breathes. And for that second it's more than enough.

But a second isn't long, it is gone all too fast and again the world crashes in on her. Opening green eyes, she stares at the makeshift ceiling, hoping that it'll hold through the storm, or at least the worst of the hard rain.

She wants just a little bit more time, but she raises her head all the same.

A wary smile lights her face when she sees him coming. The roof won't hold, they'll have to move again, but through it all as long as she has him. She knows she can get through it. All because of him.

259. September (Itachi)

The ninth month.

Itachi is twenty now. He is certain his family is up to something, something that he won't like, but he isn't sure what it is. And he's not sure whether it's better than or worse than the fact that his father has finally deigned to simply let his son be in terms of spouses. Worse, because the two are most likely related. But he has more important things to think about.

Such as Sakura, and finding the proper time to even broach the idea of a more intimate relationship with her. She's fifteen and she has proven that by now she does understand such things as love in the romantic sense a lot better, which means the time is soon. So close.

260. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

She was running late again. It was something that didn't happen often as it usually meant too much teasing and that look from her godmother, but she was human and so every once in a while it happened. In fact, the last time it happened had been more than a little irritating; she hadn't expected the guy to run into her, which spilt her coffee all over her and somewhat on him. But had not been irritated by that, just the fact that he'd turned around and blamed the whole thing on her. She didn't care who he was, that was just not okay.

It made her hesitant to take the same path this morning, but it was the quickest route.

She really shouldn't have been surprised when he ran into her. Again.

Well there went her coffee and mood.


	14. Two Sixty One through Two Eighty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Fourteen – Two-Hundred-Sixty-One through Two-Hundred-Eighty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,284

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

**Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots:** #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice and #126 Sweet.

**Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots:** #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #63 Tell, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August, #240 Writer's Choice, #242 Make Up, #243 Beg, #244 Forget, #245 Sympathetic, #249 Fantastic, #252 Mask, #253 Warm, #254 Sour, #255 Starving, #256 Write, #259 September and #260 Writer's Choice.

266 Acoustic is right after 34 Buy. 269 Pure is a continuation of 225 Temple.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

261. You (Itachi)

He watched her mouth form the word, not hearing it. And it made his entire world turn upside down because it meant she knew, it meant he could no longer evade and disconnect himself. Dimly he realized some part of him was relieved because of it, but the rest of him knew better.

Things would never be the same.

He had the urge to turn his eyes away, observe the world around him to implant the scene in his head so he'd never forget. No matter what happened next, this was something he'd hold onto. But he kept his eyes solely on her, waiting for her to do more, say more; knowing in the back of his head that if she didn't than that change would be his world breaking.

262. Christmas (Sakura)

She hummed Deck the Halls to herself; it was a tune she always seemed to know but had an excuse to sing at this time of year. She moved about the tree, happily hanging the stencils on the branches along with ornaments and festive lights. If anyone asked what her favorite holiday was, she'd answer Christmas hands down. But that was mostly because she hadn't grown up in Japan, she'd grown up in America where the holiday was not only national but it was one that was widely celebrated. In Japan it was treated like a second Valentines day or something, having no actual festive meaning other than expressing love to that special someone.

Though, this year she didn't have any room to talk because she intended to spend it with her boyfriend but not.

263. New Year's (Itachi)

He settled beside her, handing her one of the two drinks he held. She took it with a smile and took a sip of it even as she shifted so that there was room for him on the couch. When Itachi was comfortable, she moved again so as to fill in the space around him, both careful not to spill their glasses.

"I can't believe it." She murmured.

He nodded, "Another year gone." Subconsciously, he reached for her free hand, intertwining their fingers as he did so.

"And another to come." Sakura added on, resting her head on his chest as she laid on his chest.

They watched the number slowly count down from ten, nine, eight, and simply enjoyed each other's company as they had for so long now.

264. Halloween (Sakura)

This wasn't happening. This could not be happening.

But it was.

She refrained from even so much as turning her head in his direction, doing her damnedest to focus on the paperwork in front of her. Because paperwork was normal, an every day type of thing. And it most certainly was not the same as seeing the dead ghost of criminal. Not just any criminal either, Uchiha Itachi.

She risked a peek only to see him lounging in a chair that he'd turned so that he could face her, and quickly looked back down. He had his hands folded in his lap, looking so real and solid that if she hadn't known better she would have thought he was alive.

This was definitely not happening.

265. Damned (Itachi)

Sable eyes narrowed, as he saw for himself that indeed the book he was guarding was not only gone but with the linger scent of human left behind. And if he was correct, this human was not only female but only in her early twenties.

His mouth twitched into a frown as he turned to walk back out of the dark room that was entombed in his family's original home. The one that housed the Book of Damnation.

Fury ignited at the knowledge that a girl child of a human had gotten into such a highly guarded place and left before he even noticed that the key to the world's destruction was out of his hands once more.

He would find her and the book.

266. Acoustic (Sakura)

She glanced at the door out of habit when she heard the door bell chime. Green eyes blinked and then she smiled, "Itachi, I see you ended up coming back." She tried not to be awkward but it was hard remembering the way their last meeting had ended. Even if it had been two months since.

He nodded to her, "You offered guitar lessons?"

Again she blinked and searched her memory for verification. "For your little brother, right? Does he know you're signing him up for them?"

Itachi paused, seeming to study her a moment before shaking him. "The lessons wouldn't be for him."

"Oh?" Her pink brow knitted together as she tried to think of who they could be for then.

He must have caught her confusion and saw fit to enlighten her, "Me."

267. Right (Itachi)

The world was wrong in so many ways, but it always righted itself. Each time it slipped, it tipped back into place; each time it caved in on itself, it pushed back out, removing the created dents; and when it turned upside down, though the inhabitants were left with jumbled lives and too much chaos, it still turned itself upright once more.

So what happened when it turned itself inside out?

Itachi stared down at the medic at his feet, her body bloody and bruised as she tried to move. It was clear that someone had tried to take her life, but she'd managed to escape not only her aggressor but the rock walls of her Konoha camp.

Crimson eyes blinked to the ringed ones of his partner before returning to her. Finally he crouched, "Who did this to you?"

268. Wander (Sakura)

She shoved her hands in her pockets, not really looking at the world around her as she kept walking. Her gait nothing more than a saunter as she felt the world around her. The wind in her hair, the gravel beneath her feet and the people moving towards somewhere all around her.

But not her. She had nowhere to go. Nowhere to be. For the first time in a long time.

So she blinked and smiled to herself. She should enjoy this after everything she'd been through.

And she didn't look to her left as he fell in step. "I'm going to miss being a shinobi."

He nodded, "But it will be nice to be a wanderer and simply watch the world change and grow."

269. Pure (Itachi)

He hated stairs, Itachi concluded as he finally finished climbing the innumerable amount of stone steps. Why in the hell did shrines and temples have so many steps just to get to the place? Wouldn't that deter someone from wanting to go back again or maybe even turn them around halfway?

But he had to come here. Because of her. Because he'd heard this was where she lived. It made sense considering he kept seeing her at places of holy ground.

So he picked up his feet and headed for the inside of the place, going through the tourist part first.

A familiar giggle stopped him in his tracks. Turning he found her – older, cuter – holding out a charm for him, "For good luck. You're going to need it, I-ta-chi."

270. Politics (Sakura)

She let her body slump into the chair at her kitchen table. Placing both her elbows on it and then her forehead in her hands she sighed, letting green eyes fall shut. Right then, all she wanted was for the day to be over and the stress of her job to be gone.

Instead she smiled and hummed when she felt her honey's hands settle on her shoulders. A shiver went down her spine at the feel of his hot breath, "Welcome home."

She took a moment to marvel at how even though it had been nearly a decade, he still had the same affect on her.

Some days she felt like she was married to her job as a politician more than she was him because of how much time she spent away. And then she'd come home to his loving arms and that seemed to make everything okay.

"It's good to be home."

271. Book (Itachi)

He knows it's a bit absurd, but he can't help but think how it's odd that every book he picks up the exact same name is written it just before his. And of course it would have to be the same name of his little brother's ex-girlfriend from so long ago.

At first he hadn't noticed and then it had made him quirk his lips at the oddity but never actually make a difference. Now it was plaguing him, and what was worse was he had no idea how to find the woman.

Not for the first time he puts the newest book he's gotten into down simply because he can't focus.

Perhaps its luck or fate or just a coincidence, but when he looks up form his table she's across the street.

Haruno, Sakura.

272. Black (Sakura)

Sakura blinks once then twice, hoping she was delusional. Only to realize the implications of hoping that and so she in turn hopes she's dreaming. But as she keeps looking into those black, black eyes, she knows she's not. And she can't figure out if that's bad or good.

Taking a shaky breath, she tries to shuffle backwards only for those eyes to sharpen almost warningly. So she stops, and decides maybe doing what he wants – whatever the hell that may be – might be better for her health.

She knows she should be quiet, it make everything go by faster and easier but her mouth is already open before she can stop it. "What do you want?"

Her body goes rigid as he tilts his head and then smiles, "You."

273. Warn (Itachi)

One moment he was walking, talking to his best friend, and the next something slammed into his back causing him to lose his balance and fall forward. He didn't need to look to know who was responsible, in fact all he did was sigh and get his arms under him so that he didn't have to keep his face in the cement. "Sakura, I've told you not to do that."

He felt rather than heard her sheepish laugh, "Sorry, I saw you and I couldn't help it. It's been forever." But she still got off, letting him to his feet.

What was she, a child? "It's been two hours." When he was on them he brushed off the dust and pinned her with an irritated look.

"Like I said, forever."

274. Words (Sakura)

Green eyes flickered between the two quotes on her computer screen, not sure which one she wanted. After all, she could only use one and they both were pretty powerful. As she kept looking back and forth she was tempted to simply sigh, but out of her peripheral vision she saw a mug with what looked like creamed coffee inside set down near her hand.

So she sighed, but for a different reason.

"Thank you, Itachi."

He didn't say anything, but she knew he was still behind her. Just as she was about to turn to him, his hand came back into view as he pointed to the quote on bottom.

It never ceased to amaze her just how awesome her housemate was. "Again, thanks."

275. Attention (Itachi)

There were a lot of way to get someone's attention, but it usually depended on the person and the situation. Usually.

Itachi was certain as he stared, that if anything could get anyone's attention no matter what, it was this. His house was torn apart and there was blood everywhere, but he didn't see any bodies or the source of it anywhere. Not to mention the fact that he lived alone.

But he couldn't look away from the wall.

Right in front of him, nailed to the wall was a girl no older than Sasuke, her head hung down and her body bruised. But there wasn't any blood, not a drop and her clothes were fine. As where her feathered wings that seemed to be turning black before his eyes.

276. Read (Sakura)

Closing her eyes, she tried not to scream or pull her hair out. She knew the urges were dramatic, but right then, she felt they were very much warranted. Especially since she shouldn't be having so much trouble. How hard was it to read a piece of paper and combine it with the right signs so as to get to her destination? Not hard, at least not usually. But she felt like the world was screwing with her because the directions and the signs both said she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

Except the place wasn't here.

Turning she was about to head back to her car, except there was suddenly a guy between her and the vehicle.

"Are you lost, Miss?"

277. Virginity (Itachi)

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He simply couldn't. "Hokage-sama…" Itachi ventured cautiously, the woman raised a blonde eyebrow in turn. "Are you telling me, that my medic will be used as bait because…of her virginity?"

"Is that so surprising? I realize Sakura is a looker, but she's quite a workaholic."

He nearly growled, "That's not what I meant, what I meant was that you are _using_ _my _medic who is still to young for such things as _bait_ for something as simple as information that is most likely faulty and probably not that useful?"

Hazel eyes narrowed warningly at him, "Uchiha, are you saying you won't take the mission because of that?"

Itachi meet her head on, "Yes, besides. Haruno, isn't a virgin."

278. Whipped (Sakura)

She was going to die. She was going to die because someone up there had a twisted sense of humor like most with a lot of power did. Because she was pretty sure there were better things to do than have her chased down by a powerful demon who was intent on making her his wife.

Granted, at first the prospect had been flattering and straight out of a hopeless romantic's dream. After all being a demon's wife, especially one so handsome, was unreal and to top it off, he was a demon lord. Then she realized the guy was being serious.

Now she was running for her life. Well, technically, she was actually running to stay single.

And she was pathetically out of shape.

279. October (Itachi)

The tenth month

Itachi is twenty-one now. His family had been indeed been up to something, they'd been up to an arranged marriage. The whole thing had been a complete and utter disaster, complete with offended officials and pissed of clan elders. But even after it he couldn't find it in him to care all that much. He still spoke to Sasuke as much as usual and it wasn't like the clan could foist Itachi's responsibilities onto his younger brother.

Especially since he was now spending much of his free time with team and Sakura, nearly living in her home. And the rosette herself had inadvertently managed to propose to him just to get him out of the arranged marriage. And he was infinitely thankful to Sakura's parents for letting the marriage happen even though their daughter was only sixteen.

280. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

Sakura sighed with frustration, "Naruto, give me back my glasses please."

But of course, her heart's brother merely grinned at her, "But Sakura, it's not like you need them."

"I do if I don't want my cover blown, now give them here." It just figured, the one guy that she told she was an actual in the flesh spy, would do the best he could at every turn to make things harder for her. It wasn't that he wanted to see her fail; he just wanted to see what she could do. Which was almost as bad, now that she thought about it.

He opened his mouth to reply but never got the words out as another blonde settled in the chair next to Sakura's and dark haired man put his hands on the one behind her. "Too late, Sakura."


	15. Two Eighty One through Three Hundred

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Fifteen – Two-Hundred-Eighty-One through Three-Hundred

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,495

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice and #126 Sweet.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #63 Tell, #78 Cliff, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August, #240 Writer's Choice, #242 Make Up, #243 Beg, #244 Forget, #245 Remind, #246 Sympathetic, #247 Remind, #248 Wonder, #249 Fantastic, #250 Will, #251 Steal, #252 Mask, #253 Warm, #254 Sour, #255 Starving, #256 Write, #257 Presence, #258 Shelter, #259 September, #260 Writer's Choice, #261 You, #262 Christmas, #263 New Year's, #264 Halloween, #265 Damned, #266 Acoustic, #267 Right, #268 Wander, #269 Pure, #270 Politics, #271 Book, #272 Black, #273 Warn, #274 Words, #275 Attention, #276 Read, #277 Virginity, #278 Whipped, #279 October and #280 Writer's Choice.

And to **child of a fallen angel**: thank you so much and everything, but I wanted to also tell you that I can't reply to your reviews because ff has put them in the PM category and you've got that disabled, so… at any rate, thanks for the requests and for the awesome compliment. =D

For 282 Birthday, I actually did do some research on the origin of the importance of birthdays, most of the sites I found said the same thing but they were mostly dot com pages (the ones that weren't, were religious ones), so whether this is actually true or not, I'm not sure. If it's not then, I'd appreciate it if someone corrected me.

Is it just me or am I using songs more and more?

296 Ride is a follow up to 186 Theme Park

..:Xx0o0xX:..

281. Us (Itachi)

He didn't even bat an eyelash at his traveling companion. Itachi wasn't quite sure how things had ended up this way, but no matter how he tried, no objection was truly fitting because none of them would have been completely true.

And so, here he was, going to the United States of America with a young woman he'd known since she was a toddler.

It wasn't that bad, he decided, but he would love it if she learned how to simply sit still and quit talking so much. Especially considering how long the flight was, twelve hours and he could have sworn he was with the hyperactive blonde she called a brother.

"Sakura. Calm down."

She grinned back sheepishly. "Sorry, Itachi, I just can't help it. I mean, we are going to the United States."

282. Birthday (Sakura)

Sakura had never been of the opinion that birthdays were special. They were simply the day when one's life started, hell a few centuries ago she would bet the weren't even celebrated. All it meant was being one year older. But her teacher was making the class research a specific topics origins and birthdays seemed the easiest.

Never mind that hers was actually the same day she'd picked her topic.

It surprised her just how many origins she found how far back they went. To the time of when the Greeks were large and in-charge and everything. It was also quite religious. Which was interesting.

And surely it couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that she felt like somebody was watching her.

283. Old (Itachi)

Angry red swirled into the black, bleeding through until it had engulfed the irises. He paid it no mind as he focused it on his father, not even bothering to flicker it over the rest of the old men who made up the Uchiha Council. His father made an obvious attempt not to flinch back, but he wouldn't budge. "You are not getting out of this tradition, Itachi."

The corner of his mouth twitched into a scowl, this time his eyes did glide over the others. They didn't meet his eyes. Wouldn't.

He narrowed once-black just slightly. Deciding right then that if this was the game they wished to play then he would not only play but he would beat them and make them regret their choice.

Nodding, he went to find that little rosette he'd met not to long ago, the one that pledged her loyalty to him. Oh wouldn't his family like her.

284. Young (Sakura)

"Yosh! I have found you my youthful cherry blossom!" Any other time she would have simply said hello back.

She was turn between groaning and laughing. She'd gotten used to Lee and his mannerisms, she'd even become friends with the guy because she knew he was over her and the 'my' thing was simply habit. That or since she was his friend that made her part of the group, his group.

But this was not any, this time she had a very edgy Itachi – not that anyone could actually tell – with her and the 'my' thing was going to get both her and Lee into a mess. After all, the man didn't trust easy. But she had garnered that trust and also talked him into Konoha.

And Itachi didn't like it when somebody used ownership over something he considered his.

285. Catapult (Itachi)

Blue eyes blinked at them, "Umm, you did say canon, didn't you?"

Black eyes narrowed in turn, "No. I said catapult, Uzumaki."

"Oh." He had the gal to look sheepish, "My bad. But wouldn't a canon be better?"

For a moment he wondered how Sakura put up the boy, but if the groan she just gave was any indication, she was probably wondering the same thing herself. "No, Naruto. We need a catapult, because it gives a better sky weapon, that's why we're all the way up here. A canon is for speed and damage, and it would completely undermine the point."

The blonde blinked at them again. "Oops."

Itachi tried not to lose his temper; it wouldn't do anyone any good anyway. So they were just going to have to work with this. Somehow.

286. Beautiful (Sakura)

Vanity was not a good trait to have, she knew. But there some times where she simply couldn't help herself, it was never anything too shallow; she couldn't care less what other people thought about her. That didn't mean she didn't like it when she was paid a compliment, if she was told she was pretty she wasn't going to deny it. Modesty or no. And with the guys that she usually hung out with, it was a wonder she hadn't started picking up some of their habits.

One of those times happened to be when she realized she was going on a date with Uchiha, Itachi, the hottest guy in school. And that would be right now, literally five minutes before he was supposed to be picking her up.

287. Wrong (Itachi)

He sighed quietly, "Wrong."

It got a huff out of her, "How?"

He stepped forward until he was on the other side of the table, "See how the lines lead this way and the symbols lead that way? They can't do what you want them to if you continue with this format."

She blinked at him once then down at what he had just pointed to, his index finger still on the edge of the scroll.

She was a bright girl he knew, one of the best he'd ever taught so he was fairly certain she'd figure it out on her own soon enough. But he was still her teacher and felt inclined to give her guidance.

Sakura hummed, and then started in once more.

288. Please (Sakura)

She took a deep breath, "Hey, Dad?"

The almost dark haired man hummed as he glanced up from the documents he'd been reading, "Yes, Sweetheart?"

Sakura tried not to gulp or show how nervous she was, "You know, how I was telling you about that exchange program my school is doing?" Blue eyes zeroed in on her, "Well, you said that if I could raise the money to pay for it then you would think about whether I could go or not."

"And you raised the money?"

She nodded.

He sighed and rubbed his chin, "And you said you'll be staying with a family."

Again she nodded, "Mhm, the Uchiha family. My exchange partner is Uchiha, Sasuke."

He stared at her a moment longer. "Alright."

289. Water (Itachi)

For the most part, Itachi made sure that he was known for his fire jutsu and Sharingan rather than his water techniques. It wasn't because he wasn't as good at them, but it was because he preferred them and it was a way he used to enjoy himself. There were so few outlets in his way to truly be himself and Suiton was on them, so he safeguarded it, making sure that it could never be used against him.

That's why he is taken by surprise when she smiles and tells him that water suits him and would he show her more?

For a moment he stares, knowing that this is a Konoha kunoichi and her country comes first, but he also knows this is Sakura and she's not asking him to reveal a weakness, she's asking him to be happy, content. So he nods, willing to acquiesce because it's her and he wants to.

290. Chemical (Sakura)

Sakura hummed absently, murmuring the words to the song that was currently playing on the radio as she kept tweaking the medicinal concoction before her. "The chemicals react… the chemicals react."

Arms encircled her waist and she didn't bother to hold the smile back. "And what will the chemicals do?" A low, heart stopping voice whispered in her ear with an almost wicked edge to it.

She considered telling him that it was dangerous for him to be in Konoha, let alone so close to the Hokage Tower, but opted instead to simply answer his question, "Kaleidoscope of colors, turning hopes on fire, sun is burning, shining down on both of us, don't let us lose it…"

He gave a soft laugh, "Is that all?"

291. Wings (Itachi)

He blinked at his leader, half wondering if his hearing was off. "My Lord…"

Sarutobi held up an aged hand, "Hear me out, Itachi. I am aware that you've been taught that fairy tales aren't real, that for people like us there is no such thing as a happy ending. But the fact of the matter is, there is a princess who needs saving and yes she is in a tower and she is being guarded by a dragon."

The young man paused, talking a deep breath, "In other words, I am to play the roll of being the prince in shining armor?"

He shook his head. "No, I want you to play the part of the dragon and keep any 'knights' away from her."

292. White (Sakura)

Hands covered hers before she realized he was even behind hers. She smiled lightly and then remembered that this paper was due the next day and she was already going to be staying up all night. "No. I told you not today."

"For a paper?" His breath spread across her shell of her ear.

She huffed and turned to look him the eye, suddenly remembering why she told him to not even come to her house. "Not fair. Do you know how impossible it is to focus on a boring paper up how the eye perceives the color white with you in the vicinity?"

His eyes twinkled, "You have mentioned it before."

"Itachi." She whined trying to turn back around so as to work on what she was supposed to.

And she earned a deep chuckle for her efforts, this was not going to work.

293. Be (Itachi)

"What?" Her speech pattern through him off. After all, when she had spoken to his parents and everyone else, it had been like that of a lady's. Now it wasn't. Green eyes, pink hair, small stature and sorceress – after all, healing the way she did could not be even the same as a shaman woman – trained in the art of war. Was it really so surprising that she spoke the same way he'd heard those of older times – when towns were small and the wasn't a common standard – speak? No, he supposed it wasn't.

"I said, what be wrong with you?" She said the 'be' so naturally, he would have subconsciously thought he heard and 'is'.

He shook his head. "You surprised me, is all."

294. Gang (Sakura)

Green eyes went wide when she saw him lounging on her bed, eyes closed and looking for all the world like he belonged there. "Itachi." She whispered furiously.

He hummed softly in response.

"What the hell are you doing hear?" She glanced back over her shoulder, hoping against hope that no one was around. Quickly, she stepped in and closed the door behind her, tossing her school bag on her chair as she did so.

Now he opened his eyes and sat up, that smirk of his stretched on his lips. The one that she could never win against. "To see you."

"And if you're caught?" She threw back, "Have you forgotten that my father's the head of the yakuza and that he isn't fond of you and especially you being around me?"

He smiled.

295. Inattentive (Itachi)

Two things Itachi did not do were make mistakes or lose his temper. He was too well taught, and had too strong a control over his emotions for either to happen.

But within an hour of having been in contact with little pink haired spitfire he'd already done both. Granted, she was the first person he'd ever met able and willing to through his actions back in his face. Thrown Sasuke in his face. Thrown his loyalty in his face. He'd known the woman was trying to irritate him, but he hadn't intended her to succeed.

Now he'd slammed her into the cave wall holding her a good foot off the ground by her neck. "Make no mistake, Kunoichi, you're life is mine."

"Like. Hell."

296. Ride (Sakura)

In the light of day, it didn't look the same.

The rides were still there, of course, but it was empty. No one was there at all.

She should have expected that, she supposed, after all he'd told her that this was his place. She hadn't believed him; hell she'd thought he was nothing but a figment of her imagination. Especially when she tried to find the place again afterwards and couldn't.

But here it was, less than a week later. Empty because he wanted it to be, empty because no one else knew it was here.

Exactly the way she remembered it.

But the rides worked, so not matter what the implications were, she decided to have little fun.

A chuckle resounded, she smiled.

297. Caught (Itachi)

He had no trouble keeping pace, but he didn't bother to sweep forward, grab her. After all, he could see her beginning to give way, he could tell she was running out of breath and her limbs were protesting her at ever minute motion.

So he let himself find a pace that would allow him to get closer and closer subtly. She'd never notice that he was truly catching up to her until it was too late.

Until she was in his grasp.

Itachi had all the time in the world, had as much and as long as he wanted to play with the little pink haired woman who had stumbled into his territory.

And anything in it was his, including her.

When he caught her, she'd be worn out; realizing she'd never had any chance in the first place.

298. Weapon (Sakura) Blacksmithing (Making the weapon)

Again and again, she brought the hammer down. Never once looking away as she slowly but surely melded that almost white hot metal into the form she wanted. She'd been working at it for several hours already, as dawn was beginning to break really, but she had yet to take even a small breather. She didn't have that kind of time.

If the prince – heir to the Fire Kingdom thrown – was anything to go by, and he wasn't known to even so much as exaggerate or tell a white lie.

Konoha was on the verge of what could be a very long, very hard war. And weapons – stronger, harder than the flimsy things that were standard now – would be needed.

So she'd stepped up again.

299. November (Itachi)

The eleventh month

Itachi is twenty-two now. Given time, his clan had calmed down, the officials had found ways to appease and be appeased. His parents had begun to settle, especially when they realized that all that time he had indeed had an intended. And with Sasuke's help, he'd gotten them to agree that Sakura was a good choice and that there would be no one better. She was pretty much the family doctor anyway, keeping all of them alive and helping wherever she could.

So a wedding date was set. And the ceremony had.

Finding a place for the two of them to live in had been the easiest part of it all, really.

And he took full advantage of the fact that he could wake up next to the woman and call her his wife. His little lover.

300. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

With a soft groan, she shifted, trying to turn over onto her stomach so as to push herself up more easily. But she couldn't. Her hands and feet were tied, limbs pulled taunt.

And as the panic set in, she realized there was something could and decidedly metal around her throat.

_Oh god._

She was in a large white room, futuristic for its time. Strapped down to a solid table, she felt like a specimen. Which fit, since Sakura was certain that she was now.

_This wasn't happening._

With a turn of her head, her green eyes caught sight of him. Black eyes, inky hair, dark cloths. This was his fault. No, it was hers, but he played a bigger role.

_But it was._

"No."


	16. Three oh One through Three Twenty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Sixteen – Three-Hundred-One through Three-Hundred-Twenty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,440

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice and #126 Sweet.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #63 Tell, #78 Cliff, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August, #240 Writer's Choice, #242 Make Up, #243 Beg, #244 Forget, #245 Remind, #246 Sympathetic, #247 Remind, #248 Wonder, #249 Fantastic, #250 Will, #251 Steal, #252 Mask, #253 Warm, #254 Sour, #255 Starving, #256 Write, #257 Presence, #258 Shelter, #259 September, #260 Writer's Choice, #261 You, #262 Christmas, #263 New Year's, #264 Halloween, #265 Damned, #266 Acoustic, #267 Right, #268 Wander, #269 Pure, #270 Politics, #271 Book, #272 Black, #273 Warn, #274 Words, #275 Attention, #276 Read, #277 Virginity, #278 Whipped, #279 October, #280 Writer's Choice, #282 Birthday, #283 Old, #284 Young, #286 Beautiful, #287 Wrong, #288 Please, #289 Water, #290 Chemical, #291 Wings, #292 White, #294 Gang, #295 Inattentive, #297 Caught, #298 Weapon, #299 November and #300 Writer's Choice.

Erm. I don't know what was with me and tenses with this batch, so I'm sorry if they don't line up or annoy anyone.

305 Scent is a continuation of 53 Garden (Chapter 3)

**To child of a fallen angel**: I'm sorry to hear about those troubles, I hope you turn the PM back on soon, so that I can reply to you in them rather than in my notes section. Thank you so much for the requests, they are on my list (and I never mind how many you request, so long as you realize that I need time to get to each of them even with bi-daily updates). And you are absolutely welcome.

* * *

301. Fall (Itachi)

Her eyes seemed to smile as she glanced at him and then the backyard. Konoha was full of trees, the leafy deciduous kind and it never failed to take his breath away every time he saw it in the fall.

Autumn was the season known for nature to begin dying off or getting ready to hibernate, but as he watched her eyes – green as the new life of spring – twinkle with mischief, all he could see were the memories yet to come.

"Come on, Itachi."

He knew what came next; she was going to rake all the leaves into a pile. She did it every fall, jumping into the pile, sending leaves all over the place and then doing it again. After having gotten him to do it with her a few times, she would curl her small body into his, a light smile on her face.

Green eyes shining.

302. Summer (Sakura)

There's a sudden flash of light, tinted blue as it strikes the ground in a twisted broken line before it disappears. Not more than five seconds after the sky rumbles with almost satisfaction.

She smiles, letting her green eyes close for a moment as she savors what she's feeling. And then she smells rain, no not exactly. It's the smell of the world after the rain, and she's more than aware of who it belongs to.

Her smile doesn't drop, but she does let go of the railing and simply let her body fall backwards.

He'll catch her, she knows, because he always does. "Is it truly summer already?"

Arms wrap around her as he catches her, "And the storms with it."

She merely smiles.

303. Winter (Itachi)

"Help."

Itachi freezes in place, having caught the hoarse whisper just barely, but not entirely sure he wasn't simply hearing things. After all, it had been so faint and his obnoxious friends were so loud as they shouted and laughed.

But he was so sure he'd heard it, from his left.

"Please."

And that was all he needed to turn his snowboard and head in the direction. But as he kept going, he realized that he was heading towards a restricted area, he knew these slopes so well, he came hear every winter, after all.

The black haired man comes to a stop, hoping that wherever the woman was, she wasn't in the off limits area.

"Where are you?"

"Here!"

But of course she was.

304. Spring (Sakura)

It wasn't possible. How the hell was this possible?

But there he was, right in front of her. Spring's new life growing in beautiful flowers and herbs around his unconscious body. Body. Not corpse.

He was supposed to be dead!

So why the hell was he right there in flesh and blood and real? And was she seeing things or were his ears, elongated and pointed?

She took a deep breath, doing her damnedest to be completely silent as she took cautious slow steps forward. He looked exactly as he had the one and only time she saw him.

She knew she would have to tell Shishou about this, but right then, her biggest concern was to figure out what the hell was going on.

305. Scent (Itachi)

He wasn't surprised when he found her there, again, in fact, he had expected it. She had become a part of his daily life. Granted, he did go out of his way to pass his mother's garden whenever the chance presented itself so that he could see the little nymph that had taken a liking to the place.

But today, no one was going to be home until dinner and he had no where to be, so for the first time since he found the pink haired creature, he wandered back into the garden, careful not to stab himself with the thorns.

And there she was; curled up in the vines and roots, smelling just like the roses around her and a hint of strawberries.

306. Bass Guitar (Sakura)

She strummed a few notes, paused and messed with what she had scribbled down on the piece of paper in front of her. It was full of black out marks, white out, different color pens and pencil markings. The white color was all but gone now on the worn page. But she paid it no mind as she played a few more notes. Liking the sound she kept going until she stopped to scribble again.

This time, before her pencil could reach the paper she nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She relaxed when she turned to see Itachi behind her. And then she looked back to see the long black line she'd made in her surprise.

307. Tempt (Itachi)

It had been a long time since anything worth noting had caught his attention. Not the simpering women at court who eyed him like he was a piece of meat and could be conquered as easily as eaten, not his little brother with his rivalry with his best friend of an opposing court, certainly not how he was the crown prince and next to the thrown.

But a woman who had pink hair and green eyes and was the lost daughter of a court that he'd heard of in stories? He decided that was more than worth his time, especially since she was almost completely mortal and definitely not in the mortal realm.

So he turned himself into a cat and trailed at her feet.

308. Believe (Sakura)

She always believed in fairy tales, knowing that they had a pinch of truth to them. She just didn't think they had so much. And certainly not enough to end her up in a boggy forest with her supposed to be best friend grinning like a fox while a real one with nine tails weaved between her feet like a cat.

Oh and did she mention that said best friend had a 'worst enemy' who was claiming her as his bride? No? Well, it also appeared that said guy's elder brother was stalking her or something because he was everywhere. At first she thought it was the prince, but then she learned that those eyes were too…blue and belonged to the crown prince.

Well crap.

309. Ocean (Itachi)

Coughs forced their way past his lips until all the water in his lungs was out. It was followed closely by the urge to groan as Itachi rolled over on his side and got his arms and legs under him. He was soaked, to the bone almost, he noted as he pushed against gravity. And he was on a wooden plank, the remains of a once great ship.

And he was in the middle of the ocean.

Black eyes blinked as he looked around himself once he was in a seated position. Pink hair appeared out of the water until he saw green eyes, before disappearing. Less than a second later, hands grasped the wooden edge in front of him and the woman appeared a curious expression on her face.

310. Damage (Sakura)

She heard his sigh even before she heard the string of crackles that told her the wood was splintering.

A few months ago, if she'd been told she'd be here, like this she would have thought the person crazy. A couple months ago, she never thought things would have ended up this way. A month ago, she never would have agreed to this. A few weeks ago, she wouldn't have thought this possible. A couple weeks ago, she would have done everything in her power to make sure she didn't agitate him. A week ago, she wouldn't have found it amusing.

But here she was, kicking down doors because Itachi had said they needed inside. And she grinned. "You told me to open the door."

311. Noise (Itachi)

His captive made a sound of protest as she whipped around to face him.

He merely raised an eyebrow at her and dropped his hand from the radio he hadn't even been aware he owned. Without saying anything more, Itachi turned, intent on going back to what he'd been doing before she'd turned on the obnoxious racket.

And then turned back seconds later when it came back on. She stared back at him in much the same pose he'd been standing in when he'd turned it off.

It was only the first week, but after she'd become bold enough to come out of the room upstairs she'd been noisier than he knew how to handle. She was almost childlike, humming, talking to herself, dancing to music.

It was really starting to get on his nerves and he could see he should have observed her a bit better before kidnapping her.

312. Pray (Sakura)

She doesn't bend, she doesn't bow her head. Sakura has made a point not to, not to be impudent or ungrateful. But merely because she has found that every time she does, it doesn't get her anywhere. So she doesn't get down on her knees and clasp her hands and pray to the gods like all the other men and women in the village.

But for him, for this, she will, because she wants her beloved to return from Troy. After all, she couldn't talk him out of going, and he means so much to her. He holds her heart in his hands.

So she'd bow her head and pray because she wants Itachi to return alive and hers.

She wants her husband back home.

313. Was (Itachi)

As far as he knows, everything is always past tense. He _had_ a family, he _had_ a home, he _had_ a life.

Everything is always _was_, never _is_, because he's always too late no matter how far ahead he plans. He planned to be the best, he planned to make his brother a hero and he planned to always be loyal to Konoha.

But he never planned to kill his family; he never planned to shut down his heart. And yet here he is, shoving it back down as she smiles so pathetically at him, begging him to stop.

Yet he doesn't, because she _is_ there, she _is _his.

And for the first time, something goes right, at the wrong time in the wrong way at the wrong place. But it _is_. So he doesn't.

314. Body (Sakura)

Sakura knows it's possible to make one's own body a prison, to entomb someone in their own mind and let insanity take them, she simply thought she was above it.

Clearly, she's not.

At least no thanks to the supposed to be dead guy inhabiting her body and forcing her to do as he pleases. Inside the sanctuary of her mind she huffs, ignoring Inner – who was supposed to be her failsafe as to why imprisoning her in her mind was supposed to be impossible – In the background and asks him when the hell he's giving her bodily control back.

"_After I find my little brother."_

Again she huffs, wondering if she should check herself into an asylum.

"_No. You aren't insane."_

She knows that.

315. Epiphany (Itachi)

Itachi doesn't do revelations, he doesn't have last minute realizations, and the world most certainly does not suddenly click into focus for him. But he supposes epiphanies are okay, every once in a while.

Especially when they're of the 'I'm in love with Haruno, Sakura' variety.

But that's just a given.

After all, when he rouses from sleep to find the pink haired woman curled so snuggly against him, looking completely content and happy, he can feel the truth of it. And he can also feel that he doesn't mind in the slightest.

So instead of getting out of bed, he shifts, pulling her even closer to him, tucking her head under his chin as he does so, and lets his eyes close once more.

316. Telephone (Sakura)

In an instant, Sakura crossed the room, picking up the phone before it even gets to its second ring. Because maybe, just maybe.

"Hello?"

"_Hello stranger."_

It's him.

She feels her heart seize and sputter before it picks up pace to almost double time, but the rosette can't find it in her to hush it. Because this is all she can have of him.

"And why might someone call a stranger?"

So she treasures it. Pale fingers cradle the phone against her check as she listens to his voice, pleasures in the deep, warm, _familiar_ sound.

"_Perhaps because that someone loves the stranger he is calling."_

Not for the first time, Sakura wanted to say his name, whisper it over and over until her voice was gone, but instead she plays the game. It keeps him safe. It keeps her safe. "And perhaps that stranger loves that someone calling her."

317. Piercing (Itachi)

He narrowed his eyes, just slightly, enough that Sakura didn't notice. She kept chatting amiably with her friends, her face animated and bright as she moves her hands this way and that. Itachi had found that trait of hers enduring, and he still did.

Except, something was off.

And then she turned her head and her hair swayed just enough for him to see, before she turned back. But it was what gave her away, and she didn't realize it until he had her wrist and was yanking her hair back to see the earring dangling from her ear.

"Itachi." She sputtered quietly, quickly turning all her attention to him.

But he didn't relent, "I win, kunoichi."

Green eyes blinked incomprehensibly and then she gasped.

318. Surrender (Sakura)

Finally, finally, she bows her head, lets her hair shield her eyes as she closes them. She wants to scream wants to hear something other than her heart break. But she knows better, knows it won't do her any good, so she keeps her head bowed.

And she hopes he won't notice.

But he's Uchiha, Itachi and he notices everything, his keen red eyes watching her as she goes from kicking and shouting to submissive. She wonders if he likes this better, and then there is a hand grabbing her chin, yanking her head up until her watery eyes meet his. They're cold and unforgiving, but she swears she can see disappointment and irritation.

"Enough." And he lets go.

She really does scream this time.

319. December (Itachi)

The last month.

Itachi is thirty-three now. Sometimes it seems almost unreal, when he thinks about his life. After all, everything that had become his life, everything that now made it worth living had come about simply because his parent's had wanted to talk to a couple who just happened to have a several months old baby girl who needed looking after.

And because of it, he has a wife. A beautiful pink haired woman who is everything he could have possible ever wanted and the love of his life. Because of it, he has a son, an eight year old boy with all the signs of being just as good or better than Itachi and he is his pride and joy.

Because of her.

320. Writer's Choice (Itachi)

He didn't do jealous, that was what he kept telling himself. It was what he'd told his best friend after all, when Kisame had joked how he bet that Itachi was secretly very possessive of his girlfriend.

So the shark like man had decided to drag him and said girlfriend to a bar and encouraged Sakura to get on the dance floor.

And everything had been just fine until some guy started dancing with her. Not touching or anything, but definitely too close for his liking. And the moment the guy does, Itachi is out of his seat and making his way to them.

With one swift move, he yanked the guy back and took his place. When Sakura laughs almost huskily that he realizes that his best friend and his girlfriend set him up.


	17. Three Twenty One through Three Forty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Seventeen – Three-Hundred-Twenty-One through Three-Hundred-Forty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,380

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice and #126 Sweet.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #63 Tell, #78 Cliff, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August, #240 Writer's Choice, #242 Make Up, #243 Beg, #244 Forget, #245 Remind, #246 Sympathetic, #247 Remind, #248 Wonder, #249 Fantastic, #250 Will, #251 Steal, #252 Mask, #253 Warm, #254 Sour, #255 Starving, #256 Write, #257 Presence, #258 Shelter, #259 September, #260 Writer's Choice, #261 You, #262 Christmas, #263 New Year's, #264 Halloween, #265 Damned, #266 Acoustic, #267 Right, #268 Wander, #269 Pure, #270 Politics, #271 Book, #272 Black, #273 Warn, #274 Words, #275 Attention, #276 Read, #277 Virginity, #278 Whipped, #279 October, #280 Writer's Choice, #282 Birthday, #283 Old, #284 Young, #286 Beautiful, #287 Wrong, #288 Please, #289 Water, #290 Chemical, #291 Wings, #292 White, #294 Gang, #295 Inattentive, #297 Caught, #298 Weapon, #299 November, #300 Writer's Choice, #309 Ocean, #312 Pray, #316 Telephone and #320 Writer's Choice.

333. Resist is the third installment in the 46 Life and 94 Short series.

Oh, I've never had a tattoo, in fact I've never even gone into a tattoo shop so, my apologies on 337 Tattoo, but I'm making everything up (please correct what is wrong)

Lastly, I'm trying a new format, so please tell me what you think.

* * *

321. See (Itachi)

Itachi blinked down at the woman cowering behind him, arms tight around his midsection as she held onto him for dear life. He frowned slightly; more curious than anything as to why someone who clearly thought him an enemy would choose to hide behind him. Not to mention press her body and all its vitals so close to him, with her face buried in the fabric on his shoulder, it wouldn't take much to reach back and cut her neck.

So the question was, what had scared her enough to cling to an enemy who even strong, fearless men saw as their worst nightmare.

With a glance at the way she came, he turned in the circle of her arms, wrapping his own loosely around her shoulders. She froze completely.

* * *

322. Taste (Sakura)

She yanked back so suddenly that it startled him. But she paid her partner no mind as she blinked trying to rid herself of the stinging sensation in her nose.

The hands he'd placed on her hips tightened slightly. And again she blinked, this time because remembered what they were just starting in on before she pulled back.

Sakura gave him the best smile she could muster despite how her sensitive tongue felt like it was on fire and not because she'd used it to explore his mouth. "Itachi…did you eat something spicy?"

Black eyes stared at her with something akin to dumbfounded surprise. After a moment he shook his head with quiet exasperation before letting go of her hips; with a simple kiss to her lips, he pulled back.

* * *

323. Hear (Itachi)

_Tha-thump, tha-thump_.

He didn't dare shift, didn't dare move. Just in case.

_Tha-thump, tha-thump_.

He wasn't sure he'd be able to handle another loss, not one so big. Not after his family and his little brother.

_Tha-thump, tha-thump_.

She'd become the only bright spot in his life, with laughing, green eyes and big, earnest smile. And now all he had of her were echoes of a heartbeat

_Tha-thump, tha-thump_.

He refused to tense or relax as he kept his eyes on solely her, steady and intense as they had been for hours, waiting for her to stir. But she was so frail and the machine kept telling him that her breathing was at five percent.

_Tha-thump, tha-thump_.

How much long would she be like this?

* * *

324. Anniversary (Sakura)

She'd lost her world. Everything and everyone she'd once loved had been ripped from her, like a rug under her feet tugged out so that _they_ could watch amusedly as she stumbled on the cold hard floor.

It hurt and her heart ached every time they crossed her mind. And when _that_ day came each year it was all she could do not to collapse on herself.

But she couldn't.

Not because she was stronger than that, better than that. Not because she'd promised she wouldn't.

But because she'd gained something back. She'd gained a companionship, a friendship, a ally. A lover. And so, she refused to stumble so long as he stood there, refused to play _their_ game so long as she had him.

* * *

325. Empty (Itachi)

Booted feet hit the ground in a quick, soundless rhythm. It was a pace faster than the one he usually used, and he was all he could do to go even faster. The need to hurry gnawed at his insides like an inceasant ache that refused to cease until it was sated. And only thing that would satisfy it was her, seeing her, holding her, having her at his side once more.

As usual, it'd been no one's fault but his own that he'd gone so long without her. But this was how he made a living, how he supported the both of them.

Still, when he was gone for more than a month he couldn't help but get a little anxious to return to his missing pink haired lover.

* * *

326. Sensitive (Sakura)

Hundreds of needles seemed to pierce her skin, ice seeping in through each one simultaneously. It was all she could do not to fall to her knees with the pure pain of the sensation rushing through her, she felt her nose sting for an entirely different reason; foretelling of the tears behind her eyes.

Her arms flew to her body, crossing over her stomach to quill the onset of nausea.

Why was this happening?

She'd only felt like this a handful of times. Normally she could block it out before it affected her too much.

Was somebody hurt? Were they dying?

But this time it had set in too fast for her to shut out. Too fast for her to do anything but feel it. Too fast.

Were they already dead?

And then he appeared.

* * *

327. Devil (Itachi)

"You're the devil"

It was whispered and he almost didn't catch it. He wanted to ignore it. He'd heard so many variations of the exact same thing from so many people. But watching her, seeing those large green eyes spit fire at him despite the defeated posture her body had taken, the way she no longer struggled in his iron grip.

But when she said those words, with so much conviction and pain and anger and hatred, something in him clicked. Clicked and snapped.

In an instant he had her small body close, their noses nearly bumping with the proximity. But he could still see the blood splatter on her cheek, new that it soaked her cloths, covered her limbs and matted her hair. Blood that wasn't hers.

"No more than you are an angel."

* * *

328. Possible (Sakura)

His fingers were cold, so cold, as the helped form the manacle around her wrists that were his hands. Still, she didn't want to stop struggling, there had to be something, anything she could do.

But no matter how she twisted and turned, he didn't budge and his cold black eyes never left her face. She felt like crying, like calling him a monster and bastard and why the hell wasn't he letting go?

She tried to free herself because she had to get to her brother. And no matter how much the man in front of her meant to her, she had to prioritize. Her brother's life meant more than not hurting her lover's heart.

There was still a chance.

"Let me go, Itachi."

* * *

329. Help (Itachi)

He heard the small woman in the passenger seat sigh, "Itachi, it's not criminal to ask for directions."

Itachi refused to acknowledge that they were, for all intents and purposes, lost. Because the fact of the matter was that he had a map, and he didn't need some store clerk's help.

And he wasn't lost.

"We have a map, Sakura."

Again he heard her sigh, and he knew exactly what was going threw her head. And he was pretty sure it was something along the lines that he was stubborn and being a typical guy in this situation. In his defense, she was being a typical girl by suggesting and pursing the idea of asking for help.

Even if they were lost.

Which they weren't.

* * *

330. Cow Boy (Sakura)

Shifting her skirts for more comfort as she stared out over the vastness that was the land of opportunity, Sakura smiled. She could not believe it, she was here. She was on her own and she didn't need her father's help or money.

But she did need a man. For the technical stuff, like buying a house and such.

Not that she was worried, she had Itachi. One hell of a businessman from a noble family in England and looked good in cowboy attire. The two of them had met on the ship and it turned out that they were both heading to America for the same reason.

And so a deal had been struck.

This was going to be wonderful, she just knew it.

* * *

331. Scream (Itachi)

Her voice was loud in the dead silence of the clearing. He knew she wasn't intentionally trying to be loud, but it didn't change the fact that her cries came out like screams. Ones that mirrored how he felt inside.

Itachi felt her grip as she clutched at his arms and his shoulder, felt her tremble with the force of her emotions as her body caved into his. He didn't bother to stop his own arms from circling around her lower and upper back in an unconscious effort to support her and pull her close.

He'd intended to use her to get what he wanted. He'd meant to keep her close so that he always had the upper hand.

He felt like he'd broken something precious.

Like he'd broken her.

* * *

332. Care (Sakura)

Sakura sighed again, heavily and full of exasperation. She hated paperwork with a passion and she really didn't like why her brother, her teacher and her boss all managed to con her into doing it for them. Because really, why couldn't the squirrelly brats do it themselves?

She'd finally gotten a date with pretty much the hottest guy in her college and all the important people did this to her.

Honestly, she really should figure out how to stop letting them put her into these situations.

At the sound of a light knock on her door she was turn between groaning and telling whoever it was to go away. But then her dorm room door was pushed open, her mildly agitating looking date on the other side.

She realized she'd forgotten to tell him that she had to cancel. Oops.

* * *

333. Resist (Itachi)

Irritation ignited inside. He had been waiting for over an hour for her to get to the place he'd told her to meet him at and she still had yet to show. The woman was stubborn, he knew that. Every time he'd come for her she'd argued and complained and took longer than necessary to comply. But she always did and since this was the third time he'd come for her, he thought she would have accepted the facts by now.

She was his and therefore she should answer when he called on her.

But the stubborn little spitfire was still resisting it seemed and that simply would not due.

Standing, he started in the direction of Konoha's gates, intent on retrieving her once more.

* * *

334. Diary (Sakura)

_It's been a while since I wrote something, almost a half a year actually. But I haven't had a reason to since the last time. _

_So it goes without say, that yes, I do have something majorly important to write down while it's still festering inside. _

_I don't want to forget this or what it's like. Though, I don't think that's actually possible, whether I have the courage to act on them or not._

_But it's as if every time I look at him, my heart stutters. Every time he looks back, it stops. Every time he talks to me, I can't breathe. Every time we accidently brush, I feel like I'll faint–_

"Itachi, what are you doing with my diary?"

She froze when she realized which diary he's holding, and which entry he's on.

* * *

335. Phrase (Itachi)

In hindsight, he should have seen this one coming. Should have stopped it before it had a chance to happen.

But he hadn't because of one simple thing, curiosity. Curiosity to the point that he was will to sit back and watch.

The fact that she was musically inclined had never occurred to him, so when they came across an grand piano in an old home, clearly abandoned, he had merely titled his head before giving her the go ahead to play a piece on it. At the time he'd only considered whether someone would hear them. He hadn't given it a second thought when she told him what she wanted to play. He'd even recognized it.

Ave Maria.

Not until it was too late.

* * *

336. Silence (Sakura)

Sakura was a kind of person who could talk someone else's ear off if they let her. She was the kind of person who always seemed to multitasking. And she was the type of person who was almost always uncomfortable in silence.

But right then, with bubbling fury like cold fingers around her chest, she refused to say anything. She refused to make so much as a sound as she kept her back stubbornly to the recipient and cause of so much anger. Even when his hand grasped her shoulders in warning, she didn't turn, didn't say anything.

His fingers dug into her muscles almost painfully. With inaudible shuffling, she felt his chest against her back and mouth against the shell of her ear.

Soft, almost pleadingly, "Talk to me."

* * *

337. Tattoo (Itachi)

Itachi almost blinked at the happy tune the woman kept humming, even as she finished filling ink trays and dipped the needle she intended to use repeatedly on his skin into the biggest bowl of ink.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't the slightest bit nervous about this. After all, he was letting a stranger stick a needle with ink in it into his flesh. That couldn't be natural, but this tattoo was part of the uniform, everyone in the division he was going into had it. And apparently she was the only one on the content who did this particular design.

Telling himself this wasn't going to hurt that much comparatively, and she wasn't going to try to kill him, he settled further into the chair.

"So, my dear, what's your name?"

* * *

338. Arrogant (Sakura)

She'd grown up with Sasuke and spent a lot of time with Neji. But she'd never been able to put up with arrogance. And it seemed her boyfriend hadn't realized that.

Sakura had never considered whether he was like his family in that respect, but she should have guess. Should have realized that just because he was normally docile and not overly egotistical, didn't mean he wasn't arrogant. And right then he'd just proved that he could be as bad as any Uchiha or Hyuuga in that respect.

Just as she had done with both Sasuke and Neji, she brazenly looked him in the eye and told him no. No, she would not spend less time with all the other guys in her life. No, she would not care about appearance. No.

He would just have to deal with it.

* * *

339. Window (Itachi)

In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but think that if a looking-glass was between them, it would almost be like looking in a mirror. Almost.

Because it seemed she was his opposite in almost every way. Female. Short pink hair. Lively green eyes. And it was so easy to see right through her, even when she tried her best to guard her thoughts. She wore her heart on her sleeve, proudly, and she saw the best in everything and everyone.

But they were almost the same too. Dead loyal to those who had earned their trust. Strong in more than just their own right.

And they were both shinobi.

And there was no looking-glass, no window, no mirror.

Just him. Just her.

* * *

340. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

Green eyes flickered to the pillow – clearly full of feathers – and back to her partner across the room. He was settled on the window sill and seemed content to simply ignore her and the fact that she even existed.

It didn't take her long to make a decision. After all, Itachi may be scary, but she was bored. And like her fox brother, when she got bored, she got inventive and didn't tend to think of the consequences.

So she picked up the pillow and approached him slowly, cautiously. When she was within five feet of him, black eyes flitted to her, to the pillow she was holding and back out into the night. Grinning, she brought the pillow up and swung it at his shoulder as quickly she could.


	18. Three Forty One through Three Sixty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Eighteen – Three-Hundred-Forty-One through Three-Hundred-Sixty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,465

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice and #126 Sweet.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #63 Tell, #78 Cliff, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August, #240 Writer's Choice, #242 Make Up, #243 Beg, #244 Forget, #245 Remind, #246 Sympathetic, #247 Remind, #248 Wonder, #249 Fantastic, #250 Will, #251 Steal, #252 Mask, #253 Warm, #254 Sour, #255 Starving, #256 Write, #257 Presence, #258 Shelter, #259 September, #260 Writer's Choice, #261 You, #262 Christmas, #263 New Year's, #264 Halloween, #265 Damned, #266 Acoustic, #267 Right, #268 Wander, #269 Pure, #270 Politics, #271 Book, #272 Black, #273 Warn, #274 Words, #275 Attention, #276 Read, #277 Virginity, #278 Whipped, #279 October, #280 Writer's Choice, #282 Birthday, #283 Old, #284 Young, #286 Beautiful, #287 Wrong, #288 Please, #289 Water, #290 Chemical, #291 Wings, #292 White, #294 Gang, #295 Inattentive, #297 Caught, #298 Weapon, #299 November, #300 Writer's Choice, #309 Ocean, #312 Pray, #316 Telephone, #320 Writer's Choice, #321 See, #322 Taste, #324 Anniversary, #325 Empty, #326 Sensitive, #327 Devil, #328 Possible, #329 Help, #330 Cow Boy, #332 Care, #333 Resist, #334 Diary, #336 Silence, #337 Tattoo, #338 Arrogant, #339 Window and #340 Writer's Choice.

349 Sick is part of my Life series (i.e. 46 Life, 94 Short, 333 Resist), 351 Letters is a follow up to 131 Slave. 357 Fuck is after 198 Paragraph. Lastly, 360 Writer's Choice is the same verse as 140 Writer's Choice.

I don't own the song used in 341, but I do love the Marilyn Manson version of it.

* * *

341. Who (Itachi)

_I am the 'who' when you call, "Who's there?"_

Black boots were silent as their owner ghosted past. He went ignored by all the people around him, almost as if he wasn't even there at all. But he was, and just because the humans didn't notice him didn't mean the rest of the world didn't.

_I am the wind blowing through you're hair._

He was searching, constantly searching, and when he found what he was looking for, he was never going to let go of it again. But for now he would let himself fade into the background of society.

_I am the shadow on the moon at night_

After all, he was close. He could feel it. Soon he would find his most prized possession; soon he would be complete again. No longer would he be the unseen in the night.

_Filling your dreams to the brim with fright_

* * *

342. Smell (Sakura)

Being as quite as she absolutely could, she tiptoed towards her boss. He had his back turned to her and he was flipping through the pages of a book, if the telltale rustling was of what she thought it was.

This was a game of sorts that she'd started when she first came to work for Uchiha Itachi. Naruto, Sasuke and anybody else who'd ever thought to, had warned her that sneaking up on him was simply impossible, despite the fact that he was legally blind. Still, after getting caught attempting it the first time, she'd been curious how many times it would take. She lost count somewhere at one hundred twenty-three and she still had yet to succeed.

Just a few feet more, "Perhaps a little less fruit, Sakura?"

* * *

343. Count (Itachi)

"_It's not the breaths we take; it's the moments that take our breath away."_

Hadn't he told her that at one time? In fact, he was pretty sure it was the first thing he ever said to her. They had just been words then, a sentence or two of wisdom that he himself had never took. But so much had changed between now and then. Every time he looked at her, he refused to blink. Would she disappear if he did? Every time she was in his arms, he refused to let go. Would she turn into a hallucination if he did?

Moments didn't last forever, not for either of them. But he couldn't help but wonder – if he stopped breathing, would the last longer?

* * *

344. Fiction (Sakura)

It was like something right out of science fiction. Or a dream. It could definitely be a dream. Maybe a nightmare.

After all, this couldn't be real. Not really.

Or was it possible that she was hallucinating, perhaps even completely insane.

But it didn't really matter one way or another, anyway.

Because this really was happening.

She really was seated on his lap, facing him. Her wrists cuffed, the connecting chain behind his neck. Her knees pressed into leather cushions.

His hand on her hip. His arm around her waist.

And his crimson eyes keeping her green ones captive.

Why wasn't she fighting?

There was nothing but those bloody eyes. So mesmerizing.

Was it a spell?

She closed her eyes.

Still no wish to fight.

* * *

345. Fallen (Itachi)

Keen crimson eyes watched curiously as the pink haired warrioress stumbled backward, clearly trying to put distance between her and himself. He tilted his head slightly and took an easy step forward sending her scrambling backward once more.

"W-who are you?"

What an interesting question he mused, and idly he thought about giving it to her. She'd been the first in a long time to ask something other than the 'what do you want?' and 'what are you?' questions. "My name matter's mortal?"

She paused, blinking at him as if he had asked an obvious question, "Of course, why wouldn't it?"

He took a few more steps, ones she didn't scramble from; in fact she was holding her ground now. "Because I'm one of the fallen, and my name is the least of your worries."

* * *

346. Piano (Sakura)

She fought the urge to groan as she let her head rest against the closed lid that protected the keyboard. It was too early for this, but did anyone care? No. No, because Mama wanted her to have piano lessons _before_ breakfast which was usually not long after dawn. Sometimes, she dearly wanted to say that her life was simple too much. After all she had about a totally of five minutes to herself all day everyday.

And she got to start the mornings off dark and miserable with Itachi-sensei, learning to play the piano because her family could afford the very expensive cost.

Teenage years were no fun, especially since it made her very mysterious and handsome teacher off limits.

"Sit up properly, Sakura."

* * *

347. Still (Itachi)

Not reacting was something he could do; he could force himself to not be affected. Even as a child he'd been able to act and react the exact way he wanted to, his family had trained him well enough after all.

But right then with her arms thrown around his neck and her face lit up with a huge grin and sparkling eyes as she laughed in pure excitement, he was reacting without wanting to.

He couldn't help but chuckle along; smiling with her as he absently secured his arms around her waist. Despite everything he'd been taught, he was reacting. In the back of his mind, he insisted he was allowing himself to react this way.

But his quick heartbeat told a different story.

* * *

348. Insane (Sakura)

Humming to herself, Sakura quickly crossed the rest of the hallway and made her way up to the highest floor the building had. With only one patient left, she could clock out and go home to enjoy a nice hot show and something cold from her fridge.

It was a wonder working at the place for as long as she had didn't change her all that much. She still had the same no-nonsense façade she'd adopted as an intern in college. Not even her hobbies and relations with friends and family had changed.

What had was this last patient. Upon reaching the door she knocked lightly before entering, finding him sprawled out on the bed, eyes closed and arms folded behind his head. "Hello, Itachi."

* * *

349. Sick (Itachi)

Making no sound at all, he hopped off his perch on her window sill onto the ground. A quick glance told him what his ears already found out, the room was devoid of movement. However, it wasn't devoid of life. The owner of the apartment lay on her bed, sprawled out in a fitful kind of sleep. All the blankets were in catastrophic knots around her and he could just faintly hear her breathe.

His medic had managed to catch herself a cold.

Crimson eyes narrowed and he quickly crossed to her bedside, pulling her from the mess with little trouble only to grab one of the throw blankets and cover with it.

To his satisfaction, all she did was shift and curl into him, barely making any more of a sound as he turned and disappeared out the window.

* * *

350. Midnight (Sakura)

If she thought it about it a bit, she could see the interesting angles that her best friend's did. After all, who went across the world to see the sun at midnight?

Haruno Sakura, apparently.

It wasn't something that she did a lot, or even frequently. But once a year he called her, once a year she meet him where ever in China that he wanted to meet, once a year she spent the first seconds of one day under the sun with him. No one else could get her to do anything last minute, he got her to in just hours. No one else could get her to do exactly what they wanted when they wanted, all he had to do was say her name.

Because when they first meet it was under the sun, at midnight. And he refused to tell her his name. He's become her Midnight.

* * *

351. Letters (Itachi)

Carefully, he situated her on his big bed, shifting the blankets so that she was covered once more. And he was almost taken aback when she moved of her own accord, turning on her side slightly, and tugging unconsciously at the black comforter until she had it gathered under her chin with one skinny arm resting on top, clutching at the satin material.

Settling back on his hunches, he continued to watch as she straightened one leg out and brought the other up under the covers until her calves were crossed almost at right angels.

Once she seemed content, he stood up, not bothering to grab the documents still on the bedside table that had her name on them, saying in clear words that he owned her now. He left the room without a sound, deciding to cook some breakfast.

* * *

352. Blood (Sakura)

She swallowed, pushing away the doubts in her mind. She'd known from the get go that this wasn't a good idea, that the way her stomach rolled and clenched told her to stay away from him. But she'd silenced the lessons she'd spent so many years of her youth learning, and suppressed natural instinct.

Because her family was in trouble, they needed her. And this was the only way she could find to help them.

It didn't matter what it would cost her, she didn't want to think about how she was all but giving her soul to this devil. All that mattered was that her brothers and her home got out of this horrible mess alive and relatively intact.

So she signed the contract.

* * *

353. Unruly (Itachi)

With one sweep of his gaze he could tell that the owner of the living room hadn't gotten to sleep until very late and hadn't bothered to clean her work space. It looked almost like a tornado had gone through the relatively small room. Different fabrics were thrown across the backs of chairs and couches, even over tables. Books littered the tables and floors, stack on top of each other and open. In the middle of it all, Sakura lay curled in half ball, pencil in one hand and paper in the other.

Shaking his head with building amusement he easily picked his way through to her. Stooping down, he picked her up and headed for her bedroom. She never once so much as stirred.

* * *

354. Faint (Sakura)

It was completely his fault. She never asked to have blood problems that lead to syncope. But did he care about that? No. Not even a little bit, in fact she was pretty sure he found the whole thing amusing every time it happened.

Huffing, she tried unsuccessfully to push away from him so that she could stand on her own. "Stop doing that."

"Stop what, Sakura? I have done nothing but be as helpful as I can."

Growling to herself, she batted his hand away when he reached out to grab her hips, "That. Making me all lightheaded and faint." She froze, immediately wishing she hadn't just said that, not because it wasn't true. But because she knew –

He chuckled, "I assure you that is not my doing, Sa-ku-ra."

* * *

355. "Just Words" (Itachi)

They were just words, he hadn't meant them with any cruel or unkind conviction, hadn't even said them with any such intonation. But his spitfire captive was proving to be highly emotional at the moment.

He didn't dare to frown at her misgivings, that would only make the situation more of a headache for him. "Haruno."

But she didn't even miss a beat. "And you know what? I don't really like being called by my last name like I'm some kind of _object _either." With that she spun on her heel, clearly intent on storming out of the room like a rebellious teenager.

Behind him, he heard Kisame snicker and for the first time in a long time, he gave into the urge to sigh.

* * *

356. Pleasure (Sakura)

Sakura tried not to sigh as she settled at the glass table that morning. She didn't like meetings; she liked white sterile rooms with injured or damaged people in them. That was what she went to college for after all, and she didn't really like having to change from doing that because the committee board of directors decided to make a merger with a company that didn't even do pharmaceuticals.

Power and wealth at its finest.

So now instead of helping the sick and needy, she was sitting down with a bunch of business men from Uchiha Corp. International to make sure all the paperwork got done. And of course, it had to be her and not any of the Hospital Board Members, because she happened to be the Dean.

* * *

357. Fuck (Itachi)

As a linguist, the one thing Itachi could not tolerate was showing abuse to the language – no matter which one it was – in the form of verbal profanity. He could live with misuse of words, he could live with misinterpretation of words, but he would not stand for cussing simply for the sake of cussing. Not only did it mark the individual as having an incredibly limited vocabulary to him, it should a blatant uncaring for the ability to communicate.

Normally though, he blocked it out, not bothering to correct or lecture those who are cussing.

His girlfriend however, he would most definitely not let her get away with it. Especially since he was fairly certain that the assignment he give her as punishment for saying 'fuck' when she was his student had made his feelings clear on the matter.

* * *

358. Seduce (Sakura)

She swallowed nervously, but the wall behind her was a solid reminder that he had her trapped. His eyes were half lidded in that lazy manner of his, his hands resting limply at his sides; though she was pretty sure they wouldn't be for long.

Green eyes darted left and right, trying to find a way out. But there wasn't one and if he took another step – and she knew he would – then she knew that there was only one way this was going to go. He was going to pull her under, hard and completely.

And not for the first time she remembered that he was dangerous, a criminal. He was the head of a rival yakuza, she couldn't be doing this.

When he took a step, Sakura pushed her arms out in front of her, eyes squeezed shut.

* * *

359. Dormant (Itachi)

When the ground started to shake, rumbling its presence and groaning its displeasure, he hadn't so much as batted an eye. Itachi had known that this was going to happen, had intended to be out from the earthy caverns before then, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Except for pick up his pace.

He had to get to her, had to get her out. He wouldn't leave her to the fiery depths of the planet's inner fury.

After taking yet another right, it was a straight shot for the end of the tunnel, a straight shot for Sakura. Just a little more and they would be out.

But then the rumbling stopped; and the temperature kicked up at least ten degrees.

* * *

360. Writer's Choice (Itachi)

He scowled at the pink haired woman across his office desk. "Sakura. I realize that you're brother is a conman," She took a breath clearly intent on saying something but he gave her one of his looks and she sunk back in her chair, "but that doesn't mean that you can turn around and do illegal acts."

"But I didn't do anything illegal."

He gave her a look of disbelief. "I caught you in the act."

Her already open mouth clicked shut. After a moment she huffed, "I still say I didn't do anything against the law book."

Itachi fought the urge to sigh. "No matter what you say, it was against the rules. And I can't let you off just because you're my fiancé."


	19. Three Sixty One through Three Eighty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Nineteen – Three-Hundred-Sixty-One through Three-Hundred-Eighty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,435

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice and #126 Sweet.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #63 Tell, #78 Cliff, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August, #240 Writer's Choice, #242 Make Up, #243 Beg, #244 Forget, #246 Remind, #246 Sympathetic, #247 Remind, #248 Wonder, #249 Fantastic, #250 Will, #251 Steal, #252 Mask, #253 Warm, #254 Sour, #255 Starving, #256 Write, #257 Presence, #258 Shelter, #259 September, #260 Writer's Choice, #261 You, #262 Christmas, #263 New Year's, #264 Halloween, #265 Damned, #266 Acoustic, #267 Right, #268 Wander, #269 Pure, #270 Politics, #271 Book, #272 Black, #273 Warn, #274 Words, #275 Attention, #276 Read, #277 Virginity, #278 Whipped, #279 October, #280 Writer's Choice, #282 Birthday, #283 Old, #284 Young, #286 Beautiful, #287 Wrong, #288 Please, #289 Water, #290 Chemical, #291 Wings, #292 White, #294 Gang, #295 Inattentive, #297 Caught, #298 Weapon, #299 November, #300 Writer's Choice, #309 Ocean, #312 Pray, #316 Telephone, #320 Writer's Choice, #321 See, #322 Taste, #324 Anniversary, #325 Empty, #326 Sensitive, #327 Devil, #328 Possible, #329 Help, #330 Cow Boy, #332 Care, #333 Resist, #334 Diary, #336 Silence, #337 Tattoo, #338 Arrogant, #339 Window, #340 Writer's Choice, #341 Who, #342, #343, #344 Fiction, #345, #346, #347, #348, #349 Sick, #350, #351, #352, #353, #354, #355 Just Words, #356 Pleasure, #357 Fuck, #358 Seduce, #359 Dormant and #360 Writer's Choice.

369 House is a follow up to 180 Writer's Choice.

The position I used in 364 was actually inspired by a picture I saw on deviant art, it's titled Interrogation (though that's not what is going on in the scene I was using the position for.) unfortunately I can't remember who the very, very talented author is…

* * *

361. Want (Itachi)

"What do you want?"

She had asked him that, as she stood in the doorway that day. Sakura had been given permission to return to her everyday life, and she'd jumped at the chance, taking it without hesitancy. He'd accused her of hypocrisy. She'd said that she liked being there, with them. But when the time came for her to be able to leave, she wanted to be gone as soon as she could.

But instead of an argument, she'd merely asked him that question before disappearing into the hallway.

And for the first time, he questioned himself, inquiring just what the answer to that was.

At one time, he'd known, but simply couldn't have it. Now he didn't know what he wanted, despite having the world at his fingertips.

* * *

362. Jealousy (Sakura)

Not for the first time, she told her heart to shut up. Told her anger and stinging to back off. After all, the didn't have any place whatsoever in her chest, they didn't matter.

She didn't want to because that complicated _so_ much. And she didn't need that.

Itachi was trusting her to help him.

Sakura had agreed to help him win the heart of the only woman who could get his attention. And that woman was not Sakura. So whether she liked it or not, she couldn't go falling in love with the guy knowing full well that she was helping him make a happily ever after with another person.

That would just be a disaster.

One that she'd already jumped into head first.

* * *

363. Hate (Itachi)

She should hate him, for everything he's done to her. For everything that has effected her unintentionally. He knows that, and for a while he'd thought that she didn't. That it wasn't a concept she could use or a feeling she was capable of.

A part of him had been more than accepting of that. It meant that between her loyalty and refusal of hatred he would always have her willingly by his side. Something he began counting on.

And then she told him, "I hate you." Her green eyes had been brimming with tears, her small hands balled into shaking fists as she trembled with the force of her emotions. Sakura hadn't looked him in the eye at all before she turned and ran.

* * *

364. Fight (Sakura)

Her chin collided with the metal table painfully, but she refused to do anything more than grit her teeth and growl at him. She would have tried to fight or push back, but the angle at which he had both her arms prevented that unless she wanted broken bones.

He kept her like that, bent over the table, one hand on her back to keep her in the forced position, the other holding her wrists hostage so that she couldn't do anything.

In the back of her mind, she knew it was her fault she'd ended up like this, but with anger strong and potent in her veins, she didn't truly care who was to blame for her discomfort and pain.

Growling again, she shoved her foot into his shin.

* * *

365. Angel (Itachi)

The corners of his lips twitched downwards, wondering only for a split second if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He was certain he'd seen something fall, in fact he'd heard the thud that something had made. Logically, he should have kept walking. Instead, he went to investigate.

Under normal circumstances, that wasn't a bad idea. But as he came to a halt just a few feet from the something, rather someone who'd fallen, he realized he should have taken the logical route.

Unless science had found a way to attach feathered wings nearly three feet in length, then what he was looking at wasn't human. What he was looking at wasn't even real.

But yet, almost literally at his feet was an angel.

* * *

366. Roller Coaster (Sakura)

She grinned at him, but he didn't seem inclined to look any less uncertain and against this. When she'd learned that her pretty boyfriend had never been to an amusement park, let alone on a roller coaster ride, she simply refused to let it go.

And so for their first date as a couple, she'd managed to get him to go to her favorite park in exchange for her agreeing to go out with him.

She had every intention of getting him on a roller coaster, that was the whole point in the first place. He could choose what they did from there, but it seemed he was having second thoughts about the whole thing.

Sakura paused, debating what to do, then. "Okay. How about playing some carnival games first?"

* * *

367. Trust (Itachi)

"Loyalty?" She exclaimed, green eyes flashing with disbelief and agitation. "You did all of this, because you want my loyalty?"

He nodded passively. Spitfire and emotional, she may be, but she was an asset, there was no way around that. Strong, connected, talented, competent. He would be foolish to let her go now that she was in his reach. And the best way to keep her, he'd learned, was to have her loyalty.

Sakura huffed, emerald eyes were full of pure fire. "Fine." Crimson eyes narrowed suspiciously. That tone was never good to be on the receiving end of. "You can have my loyalty. But you have earn it first."

Staring at her with a heavy gaze, he nodded once. She'd just sealed her fate, and he would make sure she was aware of that.

* * *

368. Anorexic (Sakura)

Sakura was a doctor, so most of the horrors and aftereffects of life didn't bother her as much as other people. But that didn't mean she liked them any more, it didn't matter how serious the problem.

Without preamble, after all he clearly knew who she was and what she did since he asked for her specifically, she started in. "I am more than happy to help. But I would like a little background and detail of the current situation."

Black eyes were unblinking as he nodded. And he proceeded to hand her the manila folder he'd had in his hands when he approached her, "This is everything you're website said you would need." She took the file, flipping through it as he continued. "I've been told you are the best in you're field. Can you help her?"

She glanced up, meeting his gaze. "I will do everything I can."

* * *

369. House (Itachi)

Centuries weren't really all that long, not really. But sometimes, years felt like centuries, making the passage of time almost unbearable. It was something that he'd learned to live with over his life time, especially every since _then_. When he plunged the 'mythical' world into Atonement.

He didn't regret his actions. But there were times when he wished for his family back, when he could have companionship once more. If only to make the time go faster.

No one would dare come near him, even if he wasn't in confinement for what he'd done, they still feared him too much to even be in the same country let alone city.

But every now and again, he'd find a human in the confines of his home. He would watch them to see there intent and let them leave without incident when they wished.

And then an exorcist wondered into his home.

* * *

370. Fantasy (Sakura)

What the hell?

That was the second time she'd seen a flying vending machine today. She swore it was, but vending machines don't have wings and they don't sail into the air on their own. So what the hell?

Distantly, she heard it crash, figuring that it was a couple hundred feet away.

But instead of thinking about it, she turned back to the man across the table from her. Because this was an even more strange situation. "You're really Uchiha Itachi?"

He had blonde hair, golden eyes and was wondering a bartender suit. And last she checked, her boyfriend had inky slightly long hair, sable eyes that could turn crimson at any moment and he tended to like black.

Was she dreaming? Or was today just some big joke?

* * *

371. Alone (Itachi)

He was just one face among many. Just one person in the crowd. But the fact of the matter was that he was always alone. Always. That's how his world operated, his family and superiors gave him all the tools he would need to succeed and left him to his own devices.

It didn't matter what he did so long as they weren't displeased. And it was hard to displease the people who had raised their children to embrace all the dark parts of their life. Who had raised yakuza heads and encouraged them to step up.

But apparently it was possible, because they weren't amused when he brought back an innocent civilian girl from a different country with the intent of making her his.

* * *

372. Bleed (Sakura)

To her, he was invincible. Even the strongest of the people she knew could not take him down, they couldn't even land a hit on him. He was quick and agile, analytic and tactical, strong and overpowering.

To her, Uchiha Itachi was truly infallible.

But only because back then she hadn't known any better.

Now she sat on a couch that was clearly touched by time, she had a book in her lap though she'd stopped reading it long ago. Instead her full attention was on the man beside her, he was turned away, showing her his bare back. It was a show of trust that warmed her heart, but she didn't think about it as she worked to stitch the broken skin together.

He's human, she had already realized. Because only the infallible don't bleed. But Uchiha Itachi does.

* * *

373. Bridge (Itachi)

When she was barely out of her toddler years, he first encountered her. She was small, baby fat still on her cheeks, her eyes and forehead still to big for her face. His first thought was she would grow into them. His next was that she couldn't be real, with how ethereal she appeared. As if she'd felt his gaze, she'd looked up then, meeting his eyes for a moment, and finally she smiled and waved. He never got close enough to have an actual conversation with her, but he easily found out her name, Haruno Sakura.

And as the years passed, even after he massacred his family he still made time in his busy schedule to seek her out at least once a week. And he'd stick around as long as he could, especially after she became a genin and went on that mission to the Land of Waves.

* * *

374. Sign (Sakura)

Not for the first time, she felt like screaming to the whole world that she was not deaf. Except she can't. Because even though she isn't deaf, she is mute. It's a big difference, but an interchangeable one all the same.

She didn't know what was worse, when those of her purposely made a mockery of the sign language or when they talked really slow and really loud. She was not retarded. In fact she could easily keep up with a normal conversation, she just couldn't vocally contribute.

Right then, if not for the fact the person insulting her intelligence was a teacher, she would have walked away. Thankfully, Itachi came back right then, easily correcting the teacher and pulling Sakura off in some direction.

* * *

375. Perfect (Itachi)

He was nearly certain that most of the people around him, and those who weren't, assumed him to be perfect. Despite the fact that logic should indicate to them that he was _human_. And therefore not perfect.

But it wasn't only unknown strangers or even loose acquaintances. His own family was more than guilty of it as well. After all they were the ones who rasied him, thinking that if they took away the human parts he would be perfect. However there was no correcting them, and because of it there was no correcting anyone else either.

Leaving him in the shadow of his own self.

Until he met her. The pretty little in some rundown town who went so far as to sit on his chest to prove that dangerous shinobi or not, he wasn't strong enough in his condition to harm her.

* * *

376. Foreign (Sakura)

Sighing to herself, Sakura pushed back her red hair. If she were being completely honest, she liked the color. It was a very pretty color and it looked great, it just wasn't her color. But she couldn't keep her actual hair color because it was the academy didn't like off the wall hair colors on students, not even when it's natural.

If only that was the worst of her problems.

Instead she has to do with being a new student in the middle of the school year on top of it. Not to mention the fact that the academy she was attending was on invitation and not because she was from a family that traditionally sent their children there.

But what was she supposed to tell someone like Senju Tsunade when her world is turned upside down by the impossible?

* * *

377. Simple (Itachi)

Itachi watched the dancers onstage. Between splashes of color, cloth and jewelry blending into one another there was no mistaking the traveling group. But unlike his companions the young rouge had no interest in this evening's entertainment.

He had half a mind to get up and leave. But with there arrival, the normally quiet town was abuzz and full of foreigners. So unless he wanted to get caught and executed, staying and watching would be a wise idea.

Black eyes swept through the room in a lazy manner. But he couldn't help but let them linger on a pink haired dancer. Compared to her colleagues onstage, she was in simply clothing though eye catching all the same. What drew his attention was the small content smile on her face as she danced her way through the crowd. Heading for him.

* * *

378. Seductive (Sakura)

No amount of pretty eyes, gentle caresses or warm kisses was going to get him what he wanted. She refused to allow him to bully her into something of this sort for a second time. She was still fuming over the first one as it was.

Scowling blackly, she turned her face from him and crossed her arms over her chest. He wasn't going to seduce her. It wasn't happening.

She had to bite her lip to quill the sound she wanted to make when his mouth found that one particular spot on her collar bone. "Sa-ku-ra. You can't ignore me forever."

"Not forever. Just until you give up on this."

She felt his warm and wet tongue lapping at her skin lightly and gritted her teeth. "Are you sure?"

* * *

379. Revival (Itachi)

The first thing he saw was pure darkness. Which he couldn't truly say fazed him, but then he realized that he could feel and hear and smell and this couldn't be death. Could it? His mouth twitched down in a frown and when stone grated against stone he could see again.

No, this was not death. Because he was fairly certain that Orochimaru's assistant wasn't dead. Therefore Itachi had to be alive.

Something in him tightened – failure. He couldn't even succeed in staying dead.

Darkened pink caught his eye, and with it the face of a young woman he was sure was his brother's teammate. She was chained to the wall and looked much older than the fifteen years he'd last seen her at.

How long had he been dead?

Why was he alive now?

* * *

380. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

"I love how our world doesn't seem to obey the law of physics."

Black eyes slid over to her and he raised an eyebrow, "Nature often doesn't either. Bees for example. Their wings shouldn't be big enough to get their bodies off the ground."

The rosette frowned, "Okay. True. But that's not quite what I meant."

"Oh? Then what did you mean?"

She opened her mouth to explain, only to realize that she didn't quite know how. Words. They never seemed to be enough for what she wanted them to be. "I mean…simply speaking words shouldn't be enough to turn reality upside down."

"And why not? Everything has power. Sonic booms for example. All it is, is vibration and air waves, and yet it can tear bodies apart."

Still not what she meant. But she supposed he had a point.


	20. Three Eighty One through Four Hundred

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Twenty – Three-Hundred-Eighty-One through Four-Hundred

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,475

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice and #126 Sweet.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #63 Tell, #78 Cliff, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #137 Alcohol, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August, #240 Writer's Choice, #242 Make Up, #243 Beg, #244 Forget, #246 Remind, #246 Sympathetic, #247 Remind, #248 Wonder, #249 Fantastic, #250 Will, #251 Steal, #252 Mask, #253 Warm, #254 Sour, #255 Starving, #256 Write, #257 Presence, #258 Shelter, #259 September, #260 Writer's Choice, #261 You, #262 Christmas, #263 New Year's, #264 Halloween, #265 Damned, #266 Acoustic, #267 Right, #268 Wander, #269 Pure, #270 Politics, #271 Book, #272 Black, #273 Warn, #274 Words, #275 Attention, #276 Read, #277 Virginity, #278 Whipped, #279 October, #280 Writer's Choice, #282 Birthday, #283 Old, #284 Young, #286 Beautiful, #287 Wrong, #288 Please, #289 Water, #290 Chemical, #291 Wings, #292 White, #294 Gang, #295 Inattentive, #297 Caught, #298 Weapon, #299 November, #300 Writer's Choice, #301, #302, #303, #304, #305, #307, #308, #309 Ocean, #310, #311, #312 Pray, #313, #314, #315, #316 Telephone, #317, #318, #319, #320 Writer's Choice, #321 See, #322 Taste, #323, #324 Anniversary, #325 Empty, #326 Sensitive, #327 Devil, #328 Possible, #329 Help, #330 Cow Boy, #331, #332 Care, #333 Resist, #334 Diary, #335, #336 Silence, #337 Tattoo, #338 Arrogant, #339 Window, #340 Writer's Choice, #341 Who, #342, #343, #344 Fiction, #345 Fallen, #346 Piano, #347 Still, #348 Insane, #349 Sick, #350 Midnight, #351 Letters, #352 Blood, #353 Unruly, #354 Faint, #355 Just Words, #356 Pleasure, #357 Fuck, #358 Seduce, #359 Dormant, #360 Writer's Choice, #361, #362, #363, #365, #366, #367 Trust, #368, #369, #370, #371 Alone, #372, #373, #374, #375 Perfect, #376, #377, #378 Seductive, #379 Revival and #380.

398 Bought is the third part to 131 Slave and 351 Letters. 400 Writer's Choice is a sequel to 223 Can. 384 Crisis could be the follow up to 120 Writer's Choice

* * *

381. Where (Itachi)

A frown crept onto his lips. This couldn't be right, he was certain he'd left it here. But it wasn't here. And it couldn't have grown legs and walked off. So, where was it? A quick scan told him it wasn't on the floor or on his chair.

He checked the entire room, but to no avail.

A faint knock on the door was his only warning before it opened to reveal his secretary. She paused a moment, her eyes curious as she looked at him, "Is something wrong, sir?"

Climbing to his feet from his crouched position by one of the bookshelves he nodded. "I seem to have misplaced something."

Sakura smiled, "Check the right hand second drawer."

He frowned further. Was he turning into a forgetful husband whose wife knew where everything was…?

* * *

382. Torment (Sakura)

Sakura debated the pros and cons of kicking Itachi out of her home. After all, it was three o'clock in the morning and this was not the first time he'd broken into her home with the demand that she tend to his injuries. And she did it every damn time because she would not let someone injured leave her home without assistance and she definitely wouldn't sit and watch as the obstinate man made a mockery of her career.

She settled for wondering what kind of karma she had for having to put up with him before grumpily seating herself and taking over his messy bandaging. With deft hands and years of practice, she unraveled it and bandaged his forearm properly.

And in return for her work, got herself a kiss and a lap full of Itachi.

She definitely should have kicked him out instead.

* * *

383. Had (Itachi)

Gravel crunched under her weight as she struggled back onto unsteady feet. Blood oozed from open wounds and she couldn't hold back the cringes of pain. But the fact remained that she was on her feet once more.

Clearly, she hadn't had enough. "You won't concede."

Emerald eyes glared at him with pure fire as she pulled her shoulders back and straightened her body as much as she could. "Over my dead body." Her voice was but a hiss as she tightened her hands into fists.

How foolish.

He inclined his head and started for her at a deliberate saunter, "If that is what it takes."

The grin that twisted her lips was challenging, though almost grim. She wasn't backing down. "Let's see you try."

* * *

384. Crisis (Sakura)

When she finally looked up at him, she was met with black eyes that held a mixture of curiosity, exasperation and amusement. Normally when she saw that look, she would grin almost sheepishly and shrug. But this time she felt a little more like theatrics.

So she pouted and waved her hands around as if to make a spectacle of herself as she told him in a very serious voice, "Itachi, I think my life is over."

He looked caught between sighing and snorting. And she nearly smiled when he played along, "Really? And why is that?"

Letting her arms drop limply at her side, she shrugged and glanced pointedly at the unbroken glass on the floor that was surrounded by a puddle of off-white liquid. "I spilt my milk."

* * *

385. Demon (Itachi)

He raised one elegant eyebrow almost nonchalantly, even as he felt the stirrings of curiosity. "You don't wish to exorcise me?"

The young pink haired woman across from him shook her head with a shrug. "Why should I?"

"I'm a demon."

"You aren't doing harm."

"Are you afraid?" It was the only explanation.

That earned him a scowl right quick. "No. I'm rational. As exorcists should be."

"Is that why you are different from the rest?"

She shrugged, glancing back over the clearing that the balcony overlooked. "Though I must say. I don't know if I'm okay with sharing my room with a guy."

"That is your qualm?"

"I'm a teenage girl. In the twenty first century. So no, that's not my problem. But it will be my mother's and my step-father's and my brothers'."

* * *

386. Ferris Wheel (Sakura)

She tried not to fidget, tried not to glance at him too much. Sakura focused her eyes on the night sky that darkened the world outside the glass of their cart thing. It had been her idea to get on this particular ride, after all Ino said it was a surefire romantic setting.

And with the little time she did get with her boyfriend, romantic was more than appreciated. So she bullied Itachi into getting on this damn thing.

Which ended up being more awkward and painful than anything else, what with them sitting across from each other and she couldn't even look him in the eye.

She nearly jumped when she felt his hand feather light on her folded ones. "Why so nervous, Sakura?"

* * *

387. Regret (Itachi)

Green eyes turned glassy as tears welled in the small girl's eyes. Itachi felt a twinge in his chest at the sight, especially since he knew that he was responsible for putting it there. But if he didn't give into the sulking countenance of his little brother every time the jonin disappointed his precious younger sibling, then he refused to give into a complete and utter stranger

He expected to be subjected to a lot of crying and wailing like most females did when they looked like that. But she didn't. She blinked, rubbed her tears away with insides of her wrists and mumbled a quite "Sorry" before taking a step back.

The twinge turned to a tug. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

* * *

388. Bulimic (Sakura)

She attempted to scowl at him but it came out more like a grimace because of the awful taste still in her mouth. She hated the aftertaste of vomit, but what she hated more was being sick in general.

Unfortunately, by some miserable fate, she was always sick whenever she had this particular visitor. Her boys joked that it was the universe's way of trying to tell the two of them that she needed taking care of by him. At first she'd found it funny, now she didn't think it was.

Especially since he had apparently gotten the impression that she was bulimic.

Trying not to snap while shoving down her gag reflex, she answered, "I have a weak immune system, not an eating disorder."

* * *

389. Home (Itachi)

She didn't even glance at him as she walked crossed the threshold into his home. If it was anyone else he would have been irked and would coldly but politely try to remove them from his home. Even if one of his friends tried that he would have frowned and told them to learn manners.

But this was Sakura. She came and went all the time, nearly as much as he did to her.

He had a tendency to seek her out even when he didn't have the spare time to be doing so. And she barged into his home when she felt like hers was too crowded or prone to being invaded.

Itachi watched with amusement as she took off her coat, keys and shoes before proceeding to his room without a backward glance.

* * *

390. Teacher (Sakura)

She shook her head with mild exasperation. "I'm sorry, I just– it doesn't make sense."

He cocked his head, long eyelashes falling to his lightly tanned cheek bones once, "And why not?"

"Because logically it's not possible, by all laws of physics it's impossible." And she was a med student who minored in forensics, so she knew beyond a shade of a doubt that what he was telling her couldn't be true.

But then again, that would mean that he couldn't be real either. She could already feel the headache coming on.

Straightening up, "Possible or not. It is true, I did come from a time long past, now do you want help with your history project or not?"

If it meant passing she did.

* * *

391. Alive (Itachi)

How many more times would this repeat?

It didn't matter he supposed. They all ended the same. He would kill his family, Sasuke would go insane, and he would die of an illness before he could do anything to right his mistakes. The ending remained every time he went through the same situations.

When he tried going to ANBU ROOT, entering ANBU later, picking up the clan techniques faster, even separating himself from his family. No matter, it was never enough.

But then one small thing changed. She would be there. Once as an eight year old, a toddler, a young child, an academy student. She never appeared the same way, never did the same thing. But each time, she got closer to staying longer, to re-entering. And this last time, she had.

Maybe that was the difference that he needed to change his life.

* * *

392. Drunk (Sakura)

The corners of her lips quirked upward in vague amusement as she watched her best friend get drunk off her ass. Her blonde companion wasn't quite a lush, but after more than a few bottles and a couple hours, she was almost completely trashed. Which was even more amusing since the pinkette wasn't even buzzed yet.

Then again, she knew how to manipulate her body with her chakra so as to not get intoxicated so fast. And she was pretty sure she had a high tolerance for alcoholic beverages as well. Genetics or something.

Not that she wasn't feeling the liquor in her system. And the dark eyes of that hot stranger, the one with black hair and slightly feminine features, were definitely on her.

* * *

393. Bird (Itachi)

He watched as her green eyes widened in awe. Not fear, not hate, awe. It was a novel experience that Itachi had not had in a very long time. Not since Sasuke was but a child. He almost forgot how much he liked the swell of accomplishment and pride at someone liking something about him.

Especially now that he had feathered wings permanently attached to his being. It was part of his species, he knew, but the reaction it got no matter his intentions was less than favorable.

But this girl. This little slip of a girl. She was different. Her eyes following each movement with wonder and curiosity.

Being a bird meant having freedom, didn't it? So should being a tengu be any different?

* * *

394. Grace (Sakura)

She couldn't help but be envious, "It's not fair!"

Blue eyes of the blonde haired grad student blinked back at her, "Good morning to you too." She knew it was early morning and she usually got on Naruto's case for the exact same thing she was doing, but she was wide awake. Especially after nearly falling off her fifth story balcony.

"Not only is my wonderful boyfriend prettier than me, he's more graceful too." She was whining, but honestly didn't care. Itachi had managed to catch her, pull her back up and into his arms with no trouble and all in one fluid motion.

Ino blinked again then grinned a grin that didn't bode well for Sakura, "So what you're saying is that you're boyfriend is more the girlfriend in your relationship than you are?"

* * *

395. Careless (Itachi)

Without breaking his stride, he pulled the passenger car open, slid into the soft cloth of the seat and proceeded to smoothly shut the door. Itachi situated himself slightly; ignoring the safety seat belt completely, "Just drive."

He felt her eyes on him, knew they held a wariness to them. He didn't care. After all she'd been the one reckless enough to help him. She'd been the one to let him into her life. By all logistics she shouldn't have even stopped, shouldn't have gotten out of her car. And she most certainly shouldn't have still tried to patch up his wounds after he'd pulled a gun on her.

Now it was costing her.

He heard the engine of her favorite car purr to life just before it started moving.

* * *

396. Imprisoned (Sakura)

She frowned slightly, but didn't struggle against the strong arms that had wrapped themselves around her midsection. She didn't shift even a bit away from the chin that settled on her shoulders or shy from the body heat that was a warm pressure on every part of her that connected to him. Having him here, like this, had become so regular that her reaction was more of a learned one.

How long had it been since she stopped fighting him? How many times had he gotten away with being an overly affectionate brat after disappearing for days on end?

She was tempted to try pushing him away, to try to remove herself from his grasp.

"You're late."

He hummed. "I'll make it up to you."

* * *

397. Complex (Itachi)

Green eyes stare at him; they were unblinking but surprised all the same. Then she shook her head with distinct amusement as a smile curved her lips. He frowned, reviewing his words but couldn't for the life him find what he had said that could have warranted such a reaction.

When she didn't seem inclined to fill him in, he settled for simply asking her with a look. She merely giggled, "Do you realize that you have an older brother complex? It's even worse that Sasuke's younger brother complex."

He frowned further. "I doubt it can be called a 'complex' on either part considering those are the relations between Sasuke and me."

She shook her head again, "That's not what I mean."

Then what was?

* * *

398. Bought (Sakura)

She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. Scowling with the effort to withhold the worst of her temper. "Excuse me? You can't bet me like property." She didn't even know this man, so who the hell was he to say that he 'owned' her because of some stupid debt? One that she'd had no part of in the first place, to boot. She was a human being, damn it. And she refused to be treated like anything less.

Beside her, her brother shifted and cleared his throat. "He…didn't."

Surprise engulfed her, followed quickly by confusion and hurt. "You bet me?" The knowledge wouldn't sink in, she couldn't grasp it. How could he…?

Black eyes flickered between them, "And he lost."

Sakura felt like crying.

* * *

399. For Good (Itachi)

He knew she wanted him to stay, hated that crestfallen look on her face every time he was getting ready to leave. Refusing to sigh, he placed both hands on her neck, just under her chin and leaned down to kiss her. "I will return."

"I know. I just don't want you to leave."

She couldn't go anywhere, he knew. Her life was here with her work and family and friends that kept her busy enough. She didn't have time to even vacation. But he wasn't her, and no matter how much part of him wanted to do as she asked he couldn't live like this long enough. Couldn't be anything less then nomadic.

But he would come back, he always did. Just for her.

* * *

400. Writer's Choice (Itachi)

In his back pocket, his phone vibrated. Without much a pause at all, he shifted in his office chair to pull the device out and glanced at it. His eyebrows drew together when the screen told him he had received a text message from Sakura.

Opening it, he found a very sure message: _Tag. You're it._

First she sets him as 'the tin man' on her wall paper and now she's texting him with silly messaging games? His little lover needed to find new ways to use the technology at her disposal instead of using it to play teenage games when she knew he was at work.

Despite his thoughts, he smiled to himself and messaged back. _I won't be when I see you again._


	21. Four oh One through Four Twenty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Twenty-One – Four-Hundred-One through Four-Hundred-Twenty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,510

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice, #126 Sweet, #129 Laces and #137 Alcohol.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #63 Tell, #78 Cliff, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #128 Boat, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August, #240 Writer's Choice, #242 Make Up, #243 Beg, #244 Forget, #246 Remind, #246 Sympathetic, #247 Remind, #248 Wonder, #249 Fantastic, #250 Will, #251 Steal, #252 Mask, #253 Warm, #254 Sour, #255 Starving, #256 Write, #257 Presence, #258 Shelter, #259 September, #260 Writer's Choice, #261 You, #262 Christmas, #263 New Year's, #264 Halloween, #265 Damned, #266 Acoustic, #267 Right, #268 Wander, #269 Pure, #270 Politics, #271 Book, #272 Black, #273 Warn, #274 Words, #275 Attention, #276 Read, #277 Virginity, #278 Whipped, #279 October, #280 Writer's Choice, #282 Birthday, #283 Old, #284 Young, #286 Beautiful, #287 Wrong, #288 Please, #289 Water, #290 Chemical, #291 Wings, #292 White, #294 Gang, #295 Inattentive, #297 Caught, #298 Weapon, #299 November, #300 Writer's Choice, #301, #302, #303, #304, #305, #307, #308, #309 Ocean, #310, #311, #312 Pray, #313, #314, #315, #316 Telephone, #317, #318, #319, #320 Writer's Choice, #321 See, #322 Taste, #323, #324 Anniversary, #325 Empty, #326 Sensitive, #327 Devil, #328 Possible, #329 Help, #330 Cow Boy, #331, #332 Care, #333 Resist, #334 Diary, #335, #336 Silence, #337 Tattoo, #338 Arrogant, #339 Window, #340 Writer's Choice, #341 Who, #342, #343, #344 Fiction, #345 Fallen, #346 Piano, #347 Still, #348 Insane, #349 Sick, #350 Midnight, #351 Letters, #352 Blood, #353 Unruly, #354 Faint, #355 Just Words, #356 Pleasure, #357 Fuck, #358 Seduce, #359 Dormant, #360 Writer's Choice, #361, #362, #363, #365, #366, #367 Trust, #368, #369, #370, #371 Alone, #372, #373, #374, #375 Perfect, #376, #377, #378 Seductive, #379 Revival, #380 Writer's Choice, #381 When, #382, #383, #384, #385 Demon, #386, #387, #388, #389, #390, #391, #392, #393 Bird, #394 Grace, #395, #396, #397 Complex, #398 Bought, #399 and #400 Writer's Choice.

My apologies for the multiple 'crime' and 'court of law' themes, I think I've been watching a too much Law & Order, Franklin & Bash, and Suits.

408 Hold is the second part to 95 Circle

**Edited on:** November 6, 2011

* * *

401. When (Itachi)

He parked the car in the nearest space to the entrance that he could find before turning off the car and getting out. With a glance at his watch, he saw that he was a bit early, but headed for the front doors all the same.

The airport was one of the smaller ones in the area but was still five stories high. Having been inside previously on multiple occasions, he didn't bother looking up at any of the signs. Baggage claim would be on the left side, and her specific one was supposed to be section three. On a screen was a map with her flight on it, showing its progress and time of arrival.

Glancing at it briefly, he found a seat. She would be here soon enough.

* * *

402. Terrible (Sakura)

Sakura can't cook. It's not an opinion, it's a fact and she knows it. For the most part, that had never been a real problem. She kept simple foods in the house, things that were microwavable. It wasn't like she had enough time to actually cook a full meal anyway.

So she would grab an apple in the morning, ramen or tempura if she was in the mood in the afternoon and find something in the house for dinner.

But when Itachi starts dropping by whenever he wants to, and usually at a meal time, he insists she learns how to cook no matter how terrible she is at it. And so the infamous Uchiha clan heir starts giving her cooking lessons of all things.

* * *

403. Swim (Itachi)

It was rare that Itachi went to the indoor pool room that his family owned, especially now that he was older. He didn't have the time to go for a swim anymore, and as much as he wished he could, it was one of the many things that he'd learned to cope with.

Now if he ever entered the large room, it was usually as a short cut to get where he was going, or to avoid using certain hallways. And right then was one of those times where he was escaping from distant relatives that would be here within the hour.

He'd planned to use it to get outside into the expansive backyard that could be seen through fully glass wall. But he'd been stopped short at the sight of an unknown pink haired woman climbing out of the water in nothing more than a bikini.

* * *

404. Court (Sakura)

Sakura didn't like being in court. Which was an occupational problem considering she was an attorney, it was naturally part of the territory. But for one reason or another, she didn't like being in a courtroom for long. There wasn't any particular reason for it and it was certainly something she could ignore, it was simply a matter of fact.

And perhaps it was part of the reason that she could be unorthodox during the proceedings. It didn't matter what the case was or what she was proving, she tended to get bored and would try to find ways to liven things up.

Sometimes it worked like a charm, but most of the time she won anyway.

And then she would get in trouble with Itachi because Ino couldn't stop gossiping.

* * *

405. Sanction (Itachi)

"You have the right to remain silent." The words rolled of his tongue with the ease of familiarity. He'd been part of the government in general far too long to not know the words by heart. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." As he read the woman her rights, he pulled her arms behind her and cuffed her wrists, as was procedure.

Still speaking, he began to pat the rest of her down. In her front right pocket of her jeans were keys to the stolen vehicle, in the back right was a phone, and in her back left was a wallet. Her long pink hair and green eyes were familiar and the urge to check her ID for a name was overwhelming.

Until he remembered why she was familiar. This was Sakura, Sasuke's best friend.

* * *

406. Day Care (Sakura)

Sakura loved children, they were adorable and innocent and amusing to interact with or even just watch. However, there were some times when they got on her nerves like no tomorrow. Though she guessed it was more because she was in room full of children, shinobi student children to be exact, than anything else.

Iruka had asked her to see to their lessons because he couldn't be there for most of the week. So here she was filling in for one of her favorite teachers. Thankfully she'd had the common sense to drag Itachi with her today. Especially after the children had tried to treat her like a civilian.

Itachi was settled at the desk, watching with nonchalant eyes as she stood at the board, teaching the class their lesson.

* * *

407. Upset (Itachi)

Her touch was feather light and gentle, but there was no mistaking the intention in her actions, No mistaking the way she curved her arms around his chest and locked them behind his back, the way she buried her face into his neck. Her back was straight, stance firm, but her shoulders were relaxed and her neck exposed.

Eyelids lowered over black eyes, affecting nonchalance and boredom to cover up the way they had softened at her course of action. Without so much as missing a beat, he brought his arms up and wrapped them tight around her small waist and placed his chin on her shoulder, face turned to her neck. He pressed a soft kiss of thanks there.

His turbulent emotions had calmed.

* * *

408. Hold (Sakura)

Relief was the first thing she felt. It was coupled with the sound of her heart dropping, and the numbness in her legs as she pushed to go just that much faster.

They were alive.

She couldn't believe it. They were alive. They were _right there_. And they were alive. _Alive_. The thought made her throat constrict from too many emotions pushing to get out. She didn't bother to try stopping in time, didn't even slow down in her fast pace, and because of it she ended up crashing into the both of them. All three toppled over and fell to the ground.

"Mom." She whispered, because she could. "Dad." And she knew they would respond.

Their arms wrapped around her tightly.

"Thank you, Itachi."

* * *

409. Gone (Itachi)

Sometimes, once things are taken, they are hard to get back. And when they are gone, they are not easily retrieved. And other times, those things simply stay gone. And when they are people, they do not return. Those were hard learned lessons for Itachi, ones that he made sure he wouldn't forget.

Black boots were silent despite the rain and gravel of the terrain, the stride quick and graceful. The new moon left the world in blackness to the point that he nearly blended in, but it didn't matter because he was the only one outside.

The local news had forewarned of a hurricane, and the people here were wise enough to heed it because there was a good chance of it happening.

He was still looking for his lover after the last one.

* * *

410. Scientist (Sakura)

Sakura was a doctor, there was no doubt about that. Saving people's lives and making them better was a career that she loved to do. But medicine came from science, from the biology and chemistry and physics of fixing the problems of the human body to make patients better.

Which meant, that first and foremost, she was scientist. And as a woman of science, she was curious about the frontiers in her field, wanting to experiment and question and prod until she had answers.

Unfortunately, It was rare that a subject of said experimenting was inanimate or even plantlike. She preferred to go directly to the source of her curiosity and more often than not, that stemmed from human actions.

And Uchiha Itachi piqued her interest.

* * *

411. Lucky (Itachi)

Itachi doesn't believe in luck. After all, it has never done anything for him. And what it had done was nothing more than ruin his life. Was it luck that he had to kill his family? Was it luck that he could only foresee making his precious little brother as the best course of action?

If it was, than it was bad luck.

But what other explanation does he have for so many horrible things happening to him so early on? None.

Not until years after when he has given up on life, ready to simply pass on after all the suffering and loss he has gone through. Not until he realizes that it was supposed to be balanced by what would come when he is on his death bed.

* * *

412. Mime (Sakura)

Sakura jerked her hand across her throat horizontally; hoping that the blonde just passed her lover would get the message and shut the hell up.

And he did. He also blinked fiery blue eyes and tilted his head with clear confusion. Then he proceeded to cup his ear with his hand before shrugging.

Scowling, she let her forehead fall against the heel of her palm. Not quite the way she wanted him to shut up, after all he might as well have just asked her to repeat it. She loved her surrogate brother, but sometimes he was far too obtuse for his own good.

When her lover turned a knowing eye on her before changing it to one of warning, she threw her arms in the air with a huff.

* * *

413. Wind (Itachi)

He moved quickly and precisely, anything less would spell disaster for all of them. He could see the fear in her eyes, her shaking hands and the tears that wouldn't stop falling down her face but she refused to make a sound. She held her upper body as still as possible for him to work better.

This particular bomb was much more complex than it had first appeared to be. Wires went everywhere and he was pretty sure one of them connected to hand held trigger and the other to a wind-up clock. If that was true, he didn't have much time.

But he wouldn't let it affect him; he focused on getting it off of her as safely as possible. After all, she was just a teenager.

* * *

414. Apart (Sakura)

Settling on her heels, Sakura hummed under her breath as she let the fire begin to warm her body. Camping in the middle of nowhere, far from home was not one of her favorite things. More because it was lonely than because of fact the that she didn't have a nice warm bed to sleep in.

But she had a good reason for doing this, and that was because she was meeting someone. This was pretty much the only way to be able to actually sit and talk with him at length thanks to his wanted status, but as long as it was for him, she wouldn't complain.

After all, being apart from her lover for extended periods of time was something that she wouldn't allow.

* * *

415. Careful (Itachi)

Black eyes watched his little lover keenly. She was up to something, of that he was certain because he knew that look in her eye. It meant trouble. It meant she was curious and wouldn't be satisfied until she had an answer that she was content with.

On any other occasion he would allow the ghost of a smile to form and shake his head with bemusement, careful to stay out of her line of fire. After all, the end result was usually chaos for everyone involved.

But it wasn't possible this time because she had her eyes set on him. Not to mention that she'd gotten it just before she'd made a comment about how she'd never heard or seen him do anything reckless.

* * *

416. Far Away (Sakura)

It's the first time she catches a glimpse of him. But she mistakes him for someone else. With his raven black hair and dark eyes and with that lighting, she thought he was Sasuke.

Her heart jumped into her throat as her emotions tore her between anger, sorrow, and love. She'd come to the conclusion that Sasuke was family, not a love interest or a friend or even a teammate. Just family. But everyone had the right to be angry at their family, and she was beyond furious with Sasuke. For what he'd done, for what he'd chosen.

But then the man shifted a little. Just enough for her to realize that despite the similarities, it wasn't Sasuke. It was his older brother, Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

417. Run Away (Itachi)

Strategical retreat was not the same as running away. But as much as he wanted to say that this was the former, it was definitely the latter and he was more than a little irked by the idea. He wasn't running to save his life, he wasn't dodging hunters or trackers, he was figuratively running from a slip of a girl.

To make matters worse, she was supposed to be his captive, and yet he couldn't look her in the eye it seemed. No, not couldn't – wouldn't. He wouldn't face her head on, because it meant facing everything he'd ever done, facing his regrets and mistakes.

It wasn't something he should be shying from, and he wouldn't let it intimidate him. He would face her.

* * *

418. Lavish (Sakura)

While still brushing out the tangles in her hair, towel forgotten around her neck, Sakura entered her kitchen with the intent of grabbing a few files from the bookshelf that was between the kitchen and living room. Besides her bedroom, the young woman tended to work at either the dining table or at the coffee table, and so documents were usually in one bookcase or the other. And in this instance the papers she needed to finish up her report were on this one.

She stopped abruptly, just past the table. On it was a glass vase full of flowers, ones that she hadn't put there. In fact, she knew for certain that someone else had, considering she kept finding unsigned notes in these gifts.

* * *

419. Reputation (Itachi)

Itachi was known for being ruthless; known for massacring his entire family and then torturing his little brother at every turn. He'd earned the title of 'demon'. It wasn't something he was proud of, but he wouldn't deny that it was the most fitting way to describe what he'd become.

After all, what human could raise a sword to their own kin without flinching? What human could shut off his emotions and face the cold reality he had created? What human was capable of such inhuman crimes?

He heard a soft sigh that coming from the bed across the room. "Again? Honestly, if it bothers you so much, you can talk to me." Black eyes glanced at the pink haired woman, her green eyes reflected concern.

But then again, what demon was capable of love?

* * *

420. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

Sighing irritably, she turned her head slightly. She stayed like that only for a moment before moving the pillow itself, but that didn't help either. Fighting the urge to groan, she propped herself up on her elbow, absently rubbing her head as she glared at the white piece of bedding.

"Sakura?"

Not at all startled by the sudden voice she turned to her boyfriend who was still doing paperwork in the chair next to her. She thought about assuring him that nothing was wrong, but thought better of it. He would see it for the lie it was anyway. Instead, she tipped her head to the side and smiled sweetly at him, "Be my pillow, Itachi? This one is uncomfortable."

He raised his eyebrow amusedly.


	22. Four Twenty One through Four Forty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Twenty-Two – Four-Hundred-Twenty-One through Four-Hundred-Forty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,650

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice, #126 Sweet, #129 Laces and #137 Alcohol.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #63 Tell, #78 Cliff, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #122 Loveable, #128 Boat, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #138 Outside, #139 March, #140 Writer's Choice, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August, #240 Writer's Choice, #242 Make Up, #243 Beg, #244 Forget, #246 Remind, #246 Sympathetic, #247 Remind, #248 Wonder, #249 Fantastic, #250 Will, #251 Steal, #252 Mask, #253 Warm, #254 Sour, #255 Starving, #256 Write, #257 Presence, #258 Shelter, #259 September, #260 Writer's Choice, #261 You, #262 Christmas, #263 New Year's, #264 Halloween, #265 Damned, #266 Acoustic, #267 Right, #268 Wander, #269 Pure, #270 Politics, #271 Book, #272 Black, #273 Warn, #274 Words, #275 Attention, #276 Read, #277 Virginity, #278 Whipped, #279 October, #280 Writer's Choice, #282 Birthday, #283 Old, #284 Young, #286 Beautiful, #287 Wrong, #288 Please, #289 Water, #290 Chemical, #291 Wings, #292 White, #294 Gang, #295 Inattentive, #297 Caught, #298 Weapon, #299 November, #300 Writer's Choice, #301, #302, #303, #304, #305, #307, #308, #309 Ocean, #310, #311, #312 Pray, #313, #314, #315, #316 Telephone, #317, #318, #319, #320 Writer's Choice, #321 See, #322 Taste, #323, #324 Anniversary, #325 Empty, #326 Sensitive, #327 Devil, #328 Possible, #329 Help, #330 Cow Boy, #331, #332 Care, #333 Resist, #334 Diary, #335, #336 Silence, #337 Tattoo, #338 Arrogant, #339 Window, #340 Writer's Choice, #341 Who, #342, #343, #344 Fiction, #345 Fallen, #346 Piano, #347 Still, #348 Insane, #349 Sick, #350 Midnight, #351 Letters, #352 Blood, #353 Unruly, #354 Faint, #355 Just Words, #356 Pleasure, #357 Fuck, #358 Seduce, #359 Dormant, #360 Writer's Choice, #361, #362, #363, #365, #366, #367 Trust, #368, #369, #370, #371 Alone, #372, #373, #374, #375 Perfect, #376, #377, #378 Seductive, #379 Revival, #380 Writer's Choice, #381 When, #382, #383, #384, #385 Demon, #386, #387, #388, #389, #390, #391, #392, #393 Bird, #394 Grace, #395, #396, #397 Complex, #398 Bought, #399, #400 Writer's Choice, #401 When, #402, #403, #404, #405, #406, #407, #408, #409, #410, #411, #412, #413, #414, #415 Careful, #416, #417, #418, #419 and #420 Writer's Choice.

**READ THIS BEFORE CONTIN UING: **425 Church definitely contains Christian ideals, so if you don't like reading things with religion or are not Christian and would take offense of any sort _please do not read it_, okay?

**Edited on:** November 27, 2011

* * *

421. Fear (Itachi)

He halted not more than a few inches behind her, watching in silence as the young doctor's shoulders shook, not with anger or fear, but with pain and anguish. Itachi had grown used to such responses from her, had seen first-hand just how empathetic she was.

Nothing scared her, not even facing him down. She was short tempered but could keep a level head on most occasions. Yet when it came to others' pain and suffering, she was the first to react, never restraining her actions. And seeing someone dead by her own hand caused her nothing but anguish in the deceased's place.

With a soundless sigh, he took another step forward. She wouldn't like being forcibly removed, but leaving her wasn't an option.

* * *

422. Delicious (Sakura)

Sakura hummed happily as she pulled her finger out of her mouth with an overly exaggerated _pop,_ and then grinned at the man across the counter.

He looked hard-pressed not to roll his eyes at her. Instead, he leaned forward almost lightning fast and captured her thumb between his lips; lightly digging his teeth in to keep it in place when she gasped in surprise.

"Itachi!" She tried not to shriek, but the overwhelming feeling of attraction that was forever building in her as long as he was around her had just gotten worse.

She felt more than saw his lips curl upward as he dragged his tongue across the pad of her thumb.

It was exactly the same thing she'd made a show of doing. But right then, all she could think about was the wonderful feel of his tongue on her skin.

* * *

423. And (Itachi)

He'd learned quickly that though Sakura was a very straightforward person, she was never singular. Anything she did was followed by something else, and any plan she was made was followed by another.

The more time he spent with her, the more he started limiting those multiples whenever he was present. He knew there was always going to be another 'and' with her. He had no qualms with that, but when he spent time with her, the only 'and' he liked was combining him and her.

When he entered her home that afternoon, she was still getting ready for their date. Her purse left on the coffee table, he headed for it and consequently, her cell phone. He glanced up at the sound of her making her way toward him.

An exasperated look entered her eyes when she saw him turn her phone off before replacing it.

* * *

424. Scared (Sakura)

It had been a long time since Sakura had been scared out of her mind. Though her career put her in a lot of life-jeopardizing situations, the fear factor had minimized over the years.

But now, fear griped her chest, making it hard for her to breath and forcing her to breathe faster all at once. It quickened her heart yet stopped it too.

She didn't dare move or make any sounds, not while she gazed into seemingly dark crimson eyes. He wasn't pointing a gun at her, or even a knife, but his stance and his cold, dead eyes told her to stay still and stay quiet. Or she would regret it. Dearly.

How much leeway did she have? How far could she get if she tried to run?

Could she get out alive?

* * *

425. Church (Itachi)

His footsteps were quiet despite his thick-soled shoes as he crossed the threshold of the large, open building. He let his dark eyes sweep the room for threats or signs of life.

A woman dressed in traditional priest clothing was at the alter, tending the candles. She didn't so much as glance his way even when he started down the aisle and climbed the sparse stairs to stop only feet away from her.

He didn't clear his throat, or reach out to touch her before he started talking. "Are you the only one here?"

Still she didn't miss a beat in her task. "No, you are in a House of God, and that means one is never alone. Not here."

He didn't have time for religious talk. "Are you the only living human being here?"

Finally she looked at him, a wry smile on her features. "I suppose so."

* * *

426. Mid-Life Crisis (Sakura)

As a psychotherapist, she was pretty sure she had seen it all. But this just took the cake. The man settled across from her was something else entirely.

She sighed and tried not to bite the man's head off. From the first time she had been belittled, she'd known she would never be immune to the aggravated feeling it brought. "I assure you sir, a certain number of questions and complete, truthful answers on your part and I'll be out of your hair."

Black eyes gazed with piercing intensity into hers. "That is what the last _doctor_ said."

She tried not to bristle, honestly, but the thought of taking the table lamp to his head seemed appealing right then. She settled for giving him a vague smile, "I am not the last doctor you had."

* * *

427. Concert (Itachi)

Large crowds were not something Itachi liked, especially not loud and chaotic ones. Part of him was irritated that he'd been dragged to this event. His companion didn't normally care for favors, owning them or collecting, but he was well aware that Itachi was raised to, so he wasn't above using such a trait to get what he wanted.

And right then, the blue-eyed man made it clear that he wanted Itachi to get a date. He didn't care whom Itachi chose or how long it lasted, Deidara had simply made an off-hand challenge that the black-haired man couldn't get a date from a stranger at a concert.

Thus, this large, rowdy crowd because of Itachi's pride and honor. He was going to kill that best friend of his someday.

* * *

428. Pause (Sakura)

Her boyfriend was a gentleman; she would give him that. But he was definitely not one of those charming ones that appeared in romances, the ones who swept the heroine off her feet and made her heart swelled with undying love.

No, he was one of the arrogant ones that were common among aristocrats, all social grace and no social charm. Underneath his cold mask was not the heart of a sentimental man, only wishing that she would be his. It was the confidence of a 'prince' who possessively held to her despite sureness that she would never wander.

So she really wasn't surprised that though he didn't cut her off in the middle of her sentence, he didn't mind using her pause to his advantage to steal another kiss.

* * *

429. Swear (Itachi)

Black eyes watched without missing even the most miniscule movement as she crossed the street after exiting a building.

"Target spotted." He murmured absently into the headphones in his ear.

"Roger." Came his tech's voice. "Don't lose sight, but don't engage."

He already knew that, as he'd been given such orders prior to tracking her to this location, but he didn't see fit to respond.

It was curious, he found, how she used looking both ways before crossing a street to check the area around her. How she kept her pace fast and brisk, but blended in with the crowd despite her dyed red hair. Her stride spoke confidence, the set of her shoulders guardedness, and her eyes an awareness of the world about her.

Just as he was about to begin to tail her further, she disappeared. No amount of retracing and double checking turned her up either.

430. Terrorist (Sakura)

Low to the ground, an eye on all pathways, and overly aware of everything around her, she fought to keep quiet and her hands still as she held her gun with both hands.

She took a small, deep breath, careful to keep herself flat against the wall. Only this last corner to round and she would be face-to-face with the guy she'd chased across the country. Sakura had to take him down now, because she wasn't going to be allowed to follow him overseas.

She couldn't allow that.

Forcing her heart rate to slow as much as possible, she took another breath. She move a couple paces, spun on her heel, and pointed her gun straight ahead of her. Black eyes were unblinking on the other side of the barrel.

A smirk quirked his lips.

* * *

431. Bite (Itachi)

"_Bruises and bitemarks say, takes one to bring the pain." _

"Sakura." She jerked her head to him, quickly shoving her headphones off her ears and clicking her mouth shut.

Finally, she settled on a sheepish laugh, "Sorry, sir."

He merely raised an eyebrow in turn, he'd gotten used to her listening to music. Only after hours, when she was alone in the office. She didn't get loud, it was no louder than when she talked to herself. It was quirk that he was well aware she'd had for some time now, but he'd never seen fit to call her on it. "Are you finished?"

She blinked once, then smiled and nodded, quickly putting everything in it's place before standing to follow him out of the office building for the night.

* * *

432. Angry (Sakura)

"I don't need your fucking pity." She spat at him; going so far as to try to get her foot up and shove him away with it. But the awkward angling of her arms due to them being bound behind her back took most of the force out of her attempt.

Black eyes stared back at her, gaining an almost mocking lilt at her words. "You think I pity you." It wasn't a question. He moved forward with predatory grace until she felt crowded.

But this time she couldn't get her leg up between them, couldn't push him away. Fear grasped tight with cold fingers, squeezing her heart more than it already had. Still, she nodded her head, refusing to let go of her righteous fury. It was all she had to protect herself now.

* * *

433. Desert (Itachi)

It was nothing but a ghost town, so barren and desolate that not even the wind bothered this place. He supposed that made it as good as any to stop, even if only for a little while. As a criminal, he'd learned one thing right quick, staying put wasn't an option. He would never be left alone, there would always be someone tracking him down. And if there wasn't, then someone who would recognize him in passing.

This was the life he now led.

And he accepted with any qualms, because he deserved it. After all, he was the one who chose to massacre his family, orders or no.

Now he was living the limbo he'd earned himself - he glimpsed a flash of pink - most of the time anyway.

* * *

434. Shout (Sakura)

Huffing again, she rolled her green eyes. "Boys!" She was going to lose her voice before she found them at this rate. Were the damn brats avoiding her because they knew what awaited them was her wrath?

But, damn it, if they didn't deserve it. It would serve them right for putting their noses where they didn't belong.

"Naruto! Sasuke! Sai!" The morons had decided to spy on her date which had irritated her, so she'd made a show of kissing her date on her front porch to get them back.

What did they do, in turn? They threatened her boyfriend to stop dating her; in fact they'd warned him to never go near her.

Itachi had simply found the whole situation amusing, but it had royally pissed her off.

* * *

435. "Thank-You" (Itachi)

Gratitude was a rarity for Itachi to express. Not because he was too prideful to do so, but because it was seldom that he found someone worth it.

It had served to make his thanks only that more heartfelt when the small girl-child who called herself Sakura started finding ways to move him from polite and reserved to appreciative and at ease. She never did anything that could warrant a favor, but every time she saw him, she did anything she could think of to make his smile.

And for that he always told her thank you.

In the back of his mind, as he grew older, he began to simply thank the world for her existence. And wish he could keep such a rarity.

* * *

436. Arms (Sakura)

She could do this. She just had to take a deep breath and remember that if she could get through human trafficking, than she sure as hell could get through arms dealing.

Numbly, she wondered if it would be easier if she wasn't trading with someone she knew. Someone she had trusted. But now, knowing he did this for a living had destroyed that completely. To top it off, she had to go in there and fool him into thinking that she still trusted him, and that she no longer worked for the government.

This had to be some kind of joke, or maybe a horrible nightmare.

Maybe things would be different had she never hid in that police academy to get away from her best friends all those years ago.

She stepped out of the safety of her car.

* * *

437. Give Up (Itachi)

There was a point when limitations kicked in. Certain ones, he had a habit of simply ignoring, others he made sure he was never near the line.

He knew pushing himself in training past his bodily limitations would put him up in the hospital with severe wounds, but he did it anyway. However when he ended up with Haruno Sakura as his nurse as usual, he made sure to be the epitome of polite and coordinal. Because playing with her was intoxicating; amusing him to no end when she puffed up and intriguing him more than he would like when she kept his attention.

But he could only stay nonchalant so long, having her too close was a point where he didn't care for boundaries.

* * *

438. Haunted (Sakura)

It all started with a haunted house. Which had turned into working in a haunted house, and that had resulted in this mess.

Of course, throwing in the fact that the other workers weren't human hadn't helped her situation much either. The other part of it was falling for one of said coworkers without realized that he wasn't human.

And he wasn't something normal like a sorcerer or vampire, no he _had_ to be a demon capable of mass destruction through distortion of the time-space continuum.

Not the end of the world had she kept her feelings to herself. But being the obtuse idiot that she was, on the last day she had to open her mouth. Now she was stuck, because he could distort time however he wished to make sure she never tried undo her decision.

* * *

439. Bitten (Itachi)

He stared at the reddening skin with dumbfounded surprise. No blood surfaced, but the teeth marks were unmistakable, as was the fact that he'd clearly just been bitten.

Shifting his gaze, he locked eyes with inflamed emerald. They didn't look triumphant or sorry, just defensive and wary. She was clearly bristling, with her fur going every which way and sharp teeth showing.

However, she was in his bed and he was tried. So warning nip or no, he wasn't going to leave the pink feline in the middle of his bed.

After a few more failed attempts to get her to leave without getting too close to her, he sighed and settled on the edge of the bed. It looked like he was sharing his bed with a cat tonight.

* * *

440. Writer's Choice (Itachi)

The sudden deceleration woke up from his overdue nap in the backseat, but not enough for his groggy mind to figure out that he was suppose to bring his arms up to brace against the back of the passenger seat before he went head first into it.

Needless to say, his nose stung really badly as he righted himself, and then pushed to his elbow so that he could see the driver. She'd brought the car to a complete stop and was sporting a stunned expression. He glanced out the window, but saw nothing except the blackness of night and a one lane road in the middle of a barren land.

He focused back on his girlfriend, the stinging pain and sleepiness forgotten, "Sakura?"

Jerking slightly, she looked back at him. "Deer." She explained weakly.


	23. Four Forty One through Four Sixty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Twenty-Three – Four-Hundred-Forty-One through Four-Hundred-Sixty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,510

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they don't belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. They won't always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice, #122 Loveable, #126 Sweet, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #137 Alcohol, #139 March and #140 Writer's Choice.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #63 Tell, #78 Cliff, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #138 Outside, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August, #240 Writer's Choice, #242 Make Up, #243 Beg, #244 Forget, #246 Remind, #246 Sympathetic, #247 Remind, #248 Wonder, #249 Fantastic, #250 Will, #251 Steal, #252 Mask, #253 Warm, #254 Sour, #255 Starving, #256 Write, #257 Presence, #258 Shelter, #259 September, #260 Writer's Choice, #261 You, #262 Christmas, #263 New Year's, #264 Halloween, #265 Damned, #266 Acoustic, #267 Right, #268 Wander, #269 Pure, #270 Politics, #271 Book, #272 Black, #273 Warn, #274 Words, #275 Attention, #276 Read, #277 Virginity, #278 Whipped, #279 October, #280 Writer's Choice, #282 Birthday, #283 Old, #284 Young, #286 Beautiful, #287 Wrong, #288 Please, #289 Water, #290 Chemical, #291 Wings, #292 White, #294 Gang, #295 Inattentive, #297 Caught, #298 Weapon, #299 November, #300 Writer's Choice, #301, #302, #303, #304, #305, #307, #308, #309 Ocean, #310, #311, #312 Pray, #313, #314, #315, #316 Telephone, #317, #318, #319, #320 Writer's Choice, #321 See, #322 Taste, #323, #324 Anniversary, #325 Empty, #326 Sensitive, #327 Devil, #328 Possible, #329 Help, #330 Cow Boy, #331, #332 Care, #333 Resist, #334 Diary, #335, #336 Silence, #337 Tattoo, #338 Arrogant, #339 Window, #340 Writer's Choice, #341 Who, #342, #343, #344 Fiction, #345 Fallen, #346 Piano, #347 Still, #348 Insane, #349 Sick, #350 Midnight, #351 Letters, #352 Blood, #353 Unruly, #354 Faint, #355 Just Words, #356 Pleasure, #357 Fuck, #358 Seduce, #359 Dormant, #360 Writer's Choice, #361, #362, #363, #365, #366, #367 Trust, #368, #369, #370, #371 Alone, #372, #373, #374, #375 Perfect, #376, #377, #378 Seductive, #379 Revival, #380 Writer's Choice, #381 When, #382, #383, #384, #385 Demon, #386, #387, #388, #389, #390, #391, #392, #393 Bird, #394 Grace, #395, #396, #397 Complex, #398 Bought, #399, #400 Writer's Choice, #401 When, #402, #403, #404, #405, #406, #407, #408, #409, #410, #411, #412, #413, #414, #415 Careful, #416, #417, #418, #419, #420 Writer's Choice, #421, #422, #423 And, #424 Scared, #425, #426, #427, #428, #430, #431 Bite, #432, #433, #434, #435, #437, #438 Haunted, #439 Bitten and #440 Writer's Choice.

**Edited on:** December 8, 2011

* * *

441. Feel (Itachi)

As a child, he'd learned that it was easier to master new things once he got the feel for them. And to do that, he had to work at them until he was satisfied. The newest thing that caught his attention was women, one in particular – Haruno Sakura. Females had never really intrigued him because as far he was concerned they could all be categorized easily. Civilian women tended to be whimsical and distrustful of shinobi. And shinobi women tended to either focus completely on their career, or too much on other things.

But Sakura clearly cared equally for her family and friends, as much as she did for her work, and even her own personal needs were always met. And so he was curious about her, enough so that he wanted to learn more.

* * *

442. Unnoticed (Sakura)

She placed one careful step after the next, unwilling to make the same mistakes. Unwilling to take the same paths she had before. No one would notice the changes she made simply because none of them would know any better. But she did. Forever she would know the difference between then and now. Between last time and this time.

And this time, she would get it right. This time she wouldn't let Itachi go astray. She wouldn't let Orochimaru get to her teammate. She wouldn't let Danzo come to power – brief as it was. This time, Madara would not initiate a war.

Konoha would not fall. She wouldn't lose her entire world.

But first, she had to get to Itachi. Because as far as she was concerned, he was the rock that started the landslide.

* * *

443. Urge (Itachi)

He flicked his hand out on nothing more than a mere whim, and caught her arm before she could fall backwards. As they stood before the chasm, he wondered absently if saving her was the course of action that he should have taken, whim or no. Her green eyes were alight with fury, but tainted with a touch of fright at the possibility of falling to her death. He took a small step forward, bringing her just a bit closer to himself.

The pink-haired teen was still young and full of quite a bit of potential. He hadn't forced her to this edge; he'd merely chosen to save her from certain death, and in years to come she would remember that. If she fulfilled her potential. If she lived.

This choice would be worth it.

* * *

444. Claustrophobic (Sakura)

Pursing her lips and crossing her arms, she looked away from him resolutely. "I am _not_ claustrophobic." Even if her earlier actions had indicated otherwise, that was just her…reacting. Or something.

He hummed lightly, neither negating nor agreeing with her statement. But the look in his eye when she glanced his way told another story. She gritted her teeth at the blatant, mocking light in his eyes.

"I'm not." She stated again, much more forcefully.

And it earned her a soft chuckle in response. He leaned forward, almost crowding her. "Do you really believe that, Sa-ku-ra."

She found herself distracted by the way he'd drawn at her name. The bastard was clearly trying to get under her skin, and damn it if it wasn't working.

* * *

445. Religion (Itachi)

People don't just believe what they want; they believe what they're originally told. Why else would he be so willing to accept the fact that he had killed someone intentionally, but still found himself unwilling to participate in unnecessary violence or bloodshed? He was raised to believe that killing wasn't wrong because it was necessary. Of course, that didn't apply to betrayal.

Yet he knew his little lover would object to that in a heartbeat. To her, killing was wrong no matter what the circumstances. But he also knew that Sakura had been raised by a civilian family, only exposed to the ideals of shinobi life when she entered the academy.

What one believed initially never fully went away, even if life changed one's perspective on the same ideal.

* * *

446. Judgment (Sakura)

It was today, she thought dimly, not truly sure how to feel about that. Anxiety and fury mixed like water and oil trying to claim the surface of her feelings. Part of her knew she should be happy; it meant that the terror he had caused her teammate would be over and that her ex-teammate could finally be at peace. But for her, it felt like her heart breaking and her world crumbling down.

She hadn't entrusted her whole heart and loyalty to anyone in too long. But he'd never misused it, never mistreated it; he'd only protected and nourished it. For that she loved him all the more, and to see him like this killed her.

She couldn't believe Itachi was on death row.

* * *

447. Sparks (Itachi)

The smoke was the only warning they got before the flame crackled to life with pops and sparks. The burning flecks went this way and that, but the wind pulled the smoke along with it. He watched as the fire started to burn brighter and bigger, giving off more heat, but his traveling company still crowded closer to it, careful not to be in the direction of the smoke.

The dark of night bent around the blaze of their fire and she laughed softly, breathless happiness ringing clearly. When she finally looked up at him, the dancing fire reflected in her eyes, barely stronger than the mischief and eagerness already there. A grin split her lips. "Well that was fun."

"We _aren't_ doing it again."

* * *

448. Everything (Sakura)

Everything. It seemed almost a lucid term to her, depending and changing from one thing to the next. What did everything mean? As a child, it had meant a family and her dreams coming true. As a teenager, it meant being successful and her crush going somewhere other than heartache. But as a young adult, it had changed from protecting her precious people to keeping her life together to simply surviving.

Given time it would change again. It would get worse or better; it all depended on the circumstances after all.

The crunch of snow under boots was familiar, and she didn't have to look to know who had approached. Finally, she stood from the tombstone of names and turned to close the space between her and him.

* * *

449. Act (Itachi)

He'd known from the very beginning she was acting on a script; there was always someone telling her what to say and when. The ones pulling her strings wanted this to work after all, and he knew how they did things. Itachi had been their puppet for a time as well.

But he'd been keeping an eye on this spunky young woman; she had once been Sasuke's best friend before the two of them had a falling out. The two were on speaking terms now, as far as he knew, and it was part of why they had sent her to deal with him. She'd heard of him from both them and Sasuke, but as far as they knew she'd never met him.

Sakura had met him as a child; she was one of the few willing to approach him.

* * *

450. Normal (Sakura)

She hurried across the street, getting in the way of cars because she didn't have the time to cross at the light. If she didn't hurry, she was going to lose track of her wayward patient. "Mister Uchiha, please wait!"

One would think that if someone was hurt and hospitalized, they would stay in the bloody hospital. She really honestly didn't give a damn who they were or how rich; common sense didn't change for the wealthy and famous.

But clearly this man would rather disappear than get better. Stupid rich people, work could wait until he got better.

She caught sight of him again just before he rounded a corner. Huffing, she pushed through the crowd.

Sakura was not getting paid enough for this.

* * *

451. Amber (Itachi)

Itachi slowed the car to a stop as the man in the middle of the road with the sign that had slow on it wasn't moving. There were a few things he didn't like about long trips. One was the large amounts of time stuck in a car with or without company. The other reason was toll roads and literally one-lane roads. These roads were few and far between, but he always found himself stopped at them for upwards of fifteen minutes.

Sakura laughed beside him in the passenger seat. He sent her a warning look, but neither his brother nor his parents even stirred. She grinned at him, and put her feet up on the dashboard. "Wanna play a game with me, Itachi?"

* * *

452. Gold (Sakura)

Dropping her purse on the floor numbly, Sakura sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of the pure gold brick sitting on her kitchen table. She cautiously looked left and right, but found her humble apartment empty of the culprit. Who the hell left that much gold on someone else's kitchen table?

Something brushed against her leg and she jerked involuntarily only to realize that it was her black cat that she'd had since moving into this place.

Kneeling down, she reached out to scratch behind his ear. He pressed against her hand with a soft but clear purr of approval. "Did you see anyone come in while I was gone?"

He stared at her, then turned his head to her table and meowed.

* * *

453. Tower (Itachi)

"Sir!" A woman's voice called out, and something in him told him to stop and see just who she was calling for. When he turned back in the direction he'd heard the voice come from, he found himself looking at an out-of-breath, pink-haired woman looking at him.

Slowly she came closer and knelt down to pick up something stuck to his shoe. She stared at it for a moment before glancing back up at him with assessing eyes. Finally, she stood and handed it to him. It was a card, though not a playing card. He took it out of curiosity.

The picture showed people falling out of a crumbling tower and the Roman numeral XVI at the top and the words 'The Tower' at the bottom.

He looked back up into piercing green eyes.

* * *

454. Cursed (Sakura)

Disregarding the fact that the man was a stranger to her, she spoke in a conspiratorial tone like she would to a friend. "They say that anyone who comes in possession of that dies."

The man turned his head so she could see his dark eyes; they were nonchalant but curious and assessing. "Why would such a thing be rumored?"

With a soft, almost wistful smile she shrugged her shoulders, letting her green eyes fall to the object in his hand. It was a crystalline pendant that had belonged to her brother once upon a time. "Because people love to gossip. And what better to talk about than a curse with a pinch of truth to it?"

"A pinch of truth?"

"It was my brother's before he was declared M.I.A."

* * *

455. Sudden (Itachi)

In the back of his mind, he knew there was nothing sudden about the situation they now found themselves in. It had happened gradually, but he'd been so unwilling to face that one truth that he'd never truly been able to put a stop to it. After all, distance and avoidance maneuvers hadn't worked in the slightest. Trying them had simply made him more open to her when he next interacted with her. She was so different, such a rarity in his tainted world.

Like a butterfly entrapped in a large dark room. And so like a butterfly, she needed attention and daytime like they needed nectar – or she would inevitably die.

Something so delicate didn't belong in his dark grasp. But every time he let her go, she found her way back to him.

* * *

456. Mindful (Sakura)

She approached cautiously. The healer in her wanted to help, caution be damned; but her logic dictated that she didn't know the injured man or the severity of his injuries.

She had compromised by telling herself she would have a look, and if it was bad enough she would call the hospital. If not, then she would help as best she could without jeopardizing her safety. So once she was close enough, she knelt down and checked his vitals first.

Finding them shallower than they should have been, but stable all the same, she assessed him with her eyes first. There was a puddle of blood around his torso, but no bullet wound that she could see.

She supposed that meant she was stopping by the clinic on her way home.

* * *

457. Empathy (Itachi)

As he looked down at the mess of pink hair, crying face and tattered clothing, logic told him to simply leave her. Clearly she'd been broken and was no long worth using. But before he could step away, something in him urged him to stay.

It took him by complete surprise, and on a split second decision, he listened to it. If only for a few more minutes. So he watched with curious eyes just what his intuition wanted him to see.

The tears didn't stop running from her eyes, as she sought his gaze. "I want to be mad, I want to be furious."

He didn't say anything. After all, what was there to say to that? That she was wrong? That she was weak? Absence of anger didn't mean either one to him.

"Did you want to, too?"

* * *

458. Difficult (Sakura)

Backing down wasn't an option Sakura indulged in exploring, but right then she saw that taking a stand on this wasn't going to get her anywhere. Now was no time to be strong-headed. But it didn't mean she was going to simply avert her eyes or put her head down and let it happen. This was her home, damn it. And she was going to protect it one way or another.

So with keen green eyes, she moved carefully, never looking away from the crimson eyes she'd been faced with. She didn't know who the man was, but he'd gotten past her barriers so he had to be human, a human who didn't heed common sense when his instincts should have been telling him to run.

"Who are you?"

* * *

459. Shudder (Itachi)

The only thing on his mind right then was to get her out. Get her out of the water, get her out of this situation. Away from any chance of death. She was the last thing that mattered to him, the last thing that was worth any sacrifice he had to make. And he would be damned if he didn't even try.

Without her, his life was dull. All gray areas and darkness compared to the pure sunlight she brought to his life. She was idealistic and passionate.

Of course this would happen. Of course the one who didn't deserve it would take the fall and he'd be left without her.

He squeezed her unconscious body closer to him and kept pushing for the shore.

* * *

460. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

"_Don't die." _Beep. _"Don't die."_ Beep. _"You can't die." _Quiet sobs. Beep. Plink, plink, plink. "Please."

Beep.

"This can't be real."

Beep.

"Sakura…"

Beep.

"It can't be."

"_Hang. Please, hold on."_

Beep. Plink. Beep. Plink.

"_Just hold on. We're almost there."_

"Sakura."

"Please no." Creak. Beep. Quiet sobbing. Beep. Plink.

"You have to get up, Sakura."

Beep.

"Please wake up."

"_Fight it, please. Hold on, they can help."_

Beep. Plink. Beep. Plink. Beep. Plink.

"_Don't go. Don't leave."_

Beep. Plink, plink, plink. Beep.

Soft sigh. Deep breath. "Sakura!"

Beep. Quiet trembles. Plink. Beep.

"Don't die."

Pause. Plink, plink.

Bee-eep.

"Itachi."


	24. Four Sixty One through Four Eighty

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Twenty-Four – Four-Hundred-Sixty-One through Four-Hundred-Eighty

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 3,515

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words. Also, they do not belong to anything (one-shots/stories/etc.) at this moment, but if you would like me to make them into something then please tell me. And they will not always stick to the names I put beside them though I did try.

Finished (and posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #2 Touch, #5 First Kiss, #7 Orgy, #8 Lick, #9 Kinky, #13 Sacrifice, #14 Sin, #16 Lies, #17 Family, #19 Relief, #20 Writer's Choice, #21 Pride, #22 Prejudice, #23 Date, #24 Courage, #25 Passion, #27 Hide, #28 Hot, #29 Secret, #30 Sexy, #31 Lust, #32 I, #33 Orange, #34 Buy, #35 Emergency, #38 Unity, #39 Jargon, #42 Forbidden, #43 Baby, #44 Forever, #45 Crazy, #46 Life, #48 Think, #50 Soul, #51 Impress, #52 Two, #54 Stare, #55 Accident, #57 Werewolf, #58 Excuse, #60 Writer's Choice, #65 Costume, #70 Heart, #74 Tall, #75 "Pleased to Meet You", #77 Suicide, #85 Dress, #88 Heat, #94 Short, #95 Circle, #97 Pregnant, #99 January, #101 Car, #106 Karma, #110 Shoes, #113 Vulgar, #114 Big, #115 Small, #116 Hero, #117 Gentle, #119 February, #120 Writer's Choice, #122 Loveable, #126 Sweet, #128 Boat, #129 Laces, #137 Alcohol, #139 March and #140 Writer's Choice.

Unfinished (and not posted) Skits-turned-one-shots: #3 Sex, #4 Kiss, #10 Suffer, #11 Lips, #36 Real, #37 Vampire, #40 Writer's Choice, #62 Shower, #63 Tell, #78 Cliff, #81 Tea, #82 Physical, #83 Tale, #86 Smoke, #87 Talent, #89 Cold, #90 Imagine, #91 Gift, #93 Truth, #96 Time, #98 Camping, #100 Writer's Choice, #102 Attractive, #103 Food, #104 Punk, #105 Party, #108 Sing, #109 Hospital, #118 Inside, #121 Try, #130 Decorate, #131 Slave, #133 Armed, #134 Cut, #135 Love Me, #136 Villain, #138 Outside, #141 Sun, #143 Gay, #144 Video, #145 Music, #146 Paint, #147 Forest, #148 Face, #149 Pants, #150 Wedding, #151 Pierce, #152 Do, #153 Threat, #154 Meet #155 Kiss Me, #156 Skeptic, #157 Lip Stick, #158 Dazzle, #159 April, #160 Writer's Choice, #161 If, #162 Laughter, #163 Have, #164 Farm, #165 Moment, #166 Santa Claus, #167 Dance, #168 Dance, #169 Silly, #170 Displaced, #171 Breed, #173 Guard, #174 Acid, #175 "I Love You", #176 Hate, #177 Eye Liner, #178 Settle, #179 May, #180 Writer's Choice, #181 Happiness, #182 Wet, #183 Hell, #184 Animal, #185 Smile, #187 Control, #188 Abhor, #189 Clown, #190 Decadence, #191 Eulogy, #192 Doom, #194 Lost, #195 Found, #196 Things, #197 Prostitute, #198 Paragraph, #199 June, #200 Writer's Choice, #201 Make, #202 Photo-graph, #203 Depth, #204 Desire, #205 Frown, #206 Jet Plane, #207 Let Go, #208 Distract, #209 Believe Me, #210 Machine, #211 Cry, #212 Over, #213 Space, #215 Shopping, #216 Mind, #217 Impression, #218 Ignorant, #219 June, #220 Writer's Choice, #221 Why, #222 Marriage, #223 Can, #224 Pretty, #225 Travel, #226 Orgasm, #227 Good, #228 Bad, #229 Skill, #230 Famous, #231 Rape, #232 Under, #233 Alien, #234 Play, #235 Stolen, #236 Lover, #237 Underling, #238 Callous, #239 August, #240 Writer's Choice, #242 Make Up, #243 Beg, #244 Forget, #246 Remind, #246 Sympathetic, #247 Remind, #248 Wonder, #249 Fantastic, #250 Will, #251 Steal, #252 Mask, #253 Warm, #254 Sour, #255 Starving, #256 Write, #257 Presence, #258 Shelter, #259 September, #260 Writer's Choice, #261 You, #262 Christmas, #263 New Year's, #264 Halloween, #265 Damned, #266 Acoustic, #267 Right, #268 Wander, #269 Pure, #270 Politics, #271 Book, #272 Black, #273 Warn, #274 Words, #275 Attention, #276 Read, #277 Virginity, #278 Whipped, #279 October, #280 Writer's Choice, #282 Birthday, #283 Old, #284 Young, #286 Beautiful, #287 Wrong, #288 Please, #289 Water, #290 Chemical, #291 Wings, #292 White, #294 Gang, #295 Inattentive, #297 Caught, #298 Weapon, #299 November, #300 Writer's Choice, #301, #302, #303, #304, #305, #307, #308, #309 Ocean, #310, #311, #312 Pray, #313, #314, #315, #316 Telephone, #317, #318, #319, #320 Writer's Choice, #321 See, #322 Taste, #323, #324 Anniversary, #325 Empty, #326 Sensitive, #327 Devil, #328 Possible, #329 Help, #330 Cow Boy, #331, #332 Care, #333 Resist, #334 Diary, #335, #336 Silence, #337 Tattoo, #338 Arrogant, #339 Window, #340 Writer's Choice, #341 Who, #342, #343, #344 Fiction, #345 Fallen, #346 Piano, #347 Still, #348 Insane, #349 Sick, #350 Midnight, #351 Letters, #352 Blood, #353 Unruly, #354 Faint, #355 Just Words, #356 Pleasure, #357 Fuck, #358 Seduce, #359 Dormant, #360 Writer's Choice, #361, #362, #363, #365, #366, #367 Trust, #368, #369, #370, #371 Alone, #372, #373, #374, #375 Perfect, #376, #377, #378 Seductive, #379 Revival, #380 Writer's Choice, #381 When, #382, #383, #384, #385 Demon, #386, #387, #388, #389, #390, #391, #392, #393 Bird, #394 Grace, #395, #396, #397 Complex, #398 Bought, #399, #400 Writer's Choice, #401 When, #402, #403, #404, #405, #406, #407, #408, #409, #410, #411, #412, #413, #414, #415 Careful, #416, #417, #418, #419, #420 Writer's Choice, #421, #422, #423 And, #424 Scared, #425, #426, #427, #428, #430, #431 Bite, #432, #433, #434, #435, #437, #438 Haunted, #439 Bitten and #440 Writer's Choice.

**Edited on:** December 12, 2011

* * *

461. Deny (Itachi)

It was a simple truth, one that he would rather avoid because facing it meant giving it a chance to be real. Denying the reality of it though, that gave him the ability to neglect the truth. It also meant ignorance, and he couldn't have that. He'd never chosen to be ignorant just so he didn't have to learn something for what it was.

This one truth shouldn't change that resolve. But he didn't much like the alternative, either.

Because if it was true, then he had a whole lot more problems and questions to contend with, realizations to face. But if he left it alone, neglected it, then nothing would change.

When it came down to it, it wasn't about acceptance or denial of truth; it was about his willingness to let change happen. And that would depend on Sakura.

* * *

462. Uncaring (Sakura)

She fought to shove her heart down until she couldn't reach it anymore. That was the only way she could see that she was getting through this with any ounce of her sanity or emotional capabilities. Sakura simply wasn't made for battle and conflict on such large scales. Being able to perform the necessary skills didn't mean anything when all of her rebelled against actually putting those skills to the test.

Sakura was a medic, a healer first. And more importantly she'd always been a lover before she was a fighter.

But she was going to do this because the man who held her heart had put his life on the line for her. The least she could do was return the favor.

* * *

463. Human (Itachi)

Blackened eyes looked at his hands with something akin to wonder. He moved slowly and cautiously, unwilling to do anything to shatter what he was seeing. Just the fact that he could see at all, shapes and colors and lights, was almost like a dream. He was alive, he could see, but most of all: he was human.

It was almost too much to take in. However, movement a few feet before him caught his attention and he looked up instinctively. A mirror had been placed before him, showing him what he was already seeing. A human form, _his_ human body.

For a split second he wondered if he was dreaming, but he knew he couldn't be imagining something like this.

Behind the mirror stood a smiling woman with long, pink hair and soft, green eyes.

* * *

464. Sentinel (Sakura)

The task she'd been given was truly very simple: guard the prisoner, but don't talk to him. She would be paid well for it and she needed the money. Besides, the man would be behind reinforced steel bars and apparently he wasn't very social. There was no way anything could have gone wrong.

But with her luck, of course it did.

And by wrong, she meant horribly, irreparably wrong.

The night had started off without a hitch; she'd been shown to her post, told the dos and don'ts and then left by herself. She'd brought a book to read, but as she went to take a seat, she'd accidentally made eye contact with the prisoner.

He had dark eyes and darker hair and before she knew it, she was staring.

* * *

465. Horrible (Itachi)

Dribbling the ball down the field, he watched sedately as her kick launched it at a diagonal outside the net. He knew how she would react to missing simply because he knew this particular student so well, but he didn't bother calling out to her. Pointing out her mistakes wouldn't do either of them any good; she was just too strong-headed to want to listen to his advice.

So she jogged over to the ball, picked up and went back to halfway field to do the exact same thing all over again and get only slightly better results. He knew this would take more than all day, it's why he found a seat in the bleachers, but he had no intention of going anywhere anyway.

* * *

466. Good Deed (Sakura)

She ran her hands over the old parchment, the inked letters on it faded from existing for so long. The paper was crinkled and golden, giving a certain feel to it, one that she'd never forgotten because of how often she touched it. It had been so long since she'd signed that last line on the paper.

She still didn't regret it; she didn't regret giving up her freedom. The words were still so clear to her, imprinted in her mind for all time, and they told her just as they always did of the contract she'd signed. Of the terms she'd willingly agreed to.

Sakura could live with belonging to another because even before she'd signed the document, Itachi had already owned her anyway.

* * *

467. Money (Itachi)

As a wealthy man, he'd never had to worry about the expenses of everyday life and could even afford not to care about paying excess as well. Though he wasn't fond of lending out his hard earned money to just anyone in need of it, never did he refuse others when they asked. But not even free money was free; he required of them a favor that he could choose to cash-in, so to speak, whenever he wished.

And he found that the strange woman before him, a long time friend of his younger brother, was someone he was willing to help no matter what the cost. As long as she understood her request would come at a price for her as well.

* * *

468. Every time (Sakura)

As the pendulum swung to and fro, it counted down the time left. Like an hourglass that would eventually run out of sand, it would eventually cease to move. For every time it crossed the median, it slowly lost momentum, slowed just a bit more.

Part of her wished she could rewind it, or reach in and give it a push, but time was slipping through her fingers like sand she couldn't pick back up. Green eyes blinked once, and she glanced down at her shaky hands. For every second that passed, one less was hers. And she came that much closer to losing him.

Her eyes came back up to settle on his weakened and dying body. Her heart clenched painfully at the sight.

* * *

469. Fail (Itachi)

Itachi knew he shouldn't do anything; staying put would be the wiser option. If he did seek her out, then she could be implicated for treason. And he knew that if she was, then not even her Hokage could save her. In all reality, he knew that she would be better off facing his enemies, dangerous people who wanted to use her to get to him, on her own.

But staying on the sidelines rubbed him wrong. Those people were his problem, not hers. The moral part of him said that he should take care of them before they could harm her. After all, if he could prevent her involvement, shouldn't he?

Though that line of thinking reminded him that he had also meant to stay away from her, and that hadn't worked either.

* * *

470. Success (Sakura)

She blinked down at the paper in her hands. Then she blinked again and once more for good measure. It was real, the words hadn't changed. And then all she could do was grin and shriek happily as she jumped up and down. "I got in, I got in!"

Beside her, her boyfriend chuckled softly and shook his head at her antics. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her from continuing to bounce around, and a single kiss on her cheek cut of all sounds coming out of her mouth. But she wasn't deterred, Sakura turned in the circle of his arms. Her eyes were bright with excitement. "I got in, Itachi."

He smiled. "I heard."

Sighing blissfully, she leaned up to kissed him.

* * *

471. Shut (Itachi)

He couldn't prevent himself from blinking at the closed door; but before he could react further, it swung open once more. On the other side was the pink-haired teenager who had slammed in the first place, her countenance displayed an emotion somewhere between contrite and frustrated. The smile that came to her face was reluctant.

She sighed and ran her fingers through long hair, not meeting his gaze. "Sorry, can we try that again?"

The pure dumbfounded feeling that numbed his mind prevented him from saying anything immediately. He found himself wondering if she was bipolar or just insane. But he shook it off because he was here for a reason that he had yet to establish. So he simply nodded. "May I come in?"

* * *

472. Silver (Sakura)

Glints of something seemed to shine dimmly as it caught her eye, and piqued her curiosity almost immediately. Instead of continuing on her way home, so far away but so close compared to the distance she'd traveled thus far, she pivoted on her heel and went to investigate. She had more than enough time to satisfy her curiosity before she really had to be home and she wouldn't take that long.

But as was her luck lately, she ended up being horribly wrong. Instead of finding a small piece of metal or something to that effect, she found a dulled silver ring. And the ring just so happened to be attached to a finger that was attached to a body whic belonged to a man who had been buried but wasn't quite dead.

And for some reason or another, the man had decided to stick to her side.

* * *

473. Lesson (Itachi)

It wasn't curiosity anymore, it was certainty. It also appeared to be unavoidable for him. Surely, after finding himself being ordered to kill his family and then making his brother hate him enough to kill him, wouldn't he learn to stop getting close to people?

In the end he always found himself betraying or using them, and the result was always a mangled heart pushed too far away for him to feel.

Yet here he was, making the exact mistake he said he never would. He was attached to another human being, and he already knew that this was a doomed relationship. If she didn't end up dead, he would. If she didn't end up hateful and broken, he would.

Clearly, he hadn't learned anything.

* * *

474. Rest (Sakura)

Suddenly, she was awake. But at the same time, she wasn't. Her mind was groggy, trying to keep up, but the reality of what was happening was simply too steep. And too immediate.

Green eyes looked around her room. It was plain and cozy with no real personalization past the books and sparse pictures. And then she looked back to her bed. Where her body sat, straight up and gazed on her hands.

What the hell?

Pushing past the strangeness and surrealism of the situation, she focused as best she could. She remembered going to bed the night before, sleep had come easily. Then it was as if one moment she was sleeping and the next, she…she was outside her body feeling invaded. Inhabited.

Someone had taken over her body.

* * *

475. Disease (Itachi)

Dark eyes flickered around the courtyard, observing it almost mechanically. Bodies were strewn about, some over objects, some on their backs or stomachs or sides. They were slumped against walls or fallen atop each other.

It was a repulsive sight to see, even more so because he knew this wasn't the handiwork of humans. This was the result of a plague. A very infamous one that had brought ruin to the Middle East at one time: the Bubonic Plague.

Finally, he resolved to keep moving while making sure that he couldn't catch it either. He didn't come back to almost a thousand years earlier to catch an old disease. He came back for answers, and he would do that by finding his little brother's ex-girlfriend.

* * *

476. Before (Sakura)

Before, after, she wondered if there was any real change. In the back of her mind, she knew there had been a change, a whole slew of major changes in fact. But the picture from before seemed so similar to the after picture; it would be easy to make the mistake of thinking no change had occurred.

After all, she was still a kunoichi loyal to Konoha. Her friends were still the same people, though her family had gotten bigger. In the end, the only difference was the life experience she'd gone through that made her stronger.

Of course, the other difference was that she'd had her heart stolen and the man she loved wasn't giving it back anytime soon.

But she was still her.

* * *

477. Apathy (Itachi)

Denying that one cared and actually not caring were two different things, and as far as Itachi was concerned, he was somewhere between. He knew that there would always be something that he cared about; he simply never wanted to. It never seemed to end well for him; he'd lost his family, his friends, his home – all things he had cared dearly about. So he had long since resolved to simply stop caring, or at least stop acknowledging that he did.

If it was ignored, it wasn't a problem.

However, now he did have a problem, and it came in the form of a young kunoichi almost out of her teens. Not only did she not accept either course, she refused to let him accept them.

* * *

478. Concern (Sakura)

Amber eyes stared back at her, seeming to pry straight into her soul in an almost merciless manner. The rosette refused to swallow from the intensity of the gaze, and she definitely wasn't going to back down. Not on this one; it was too important.

"Shishou," she whispered softly. "I know this is hard to hear, especially from me."

"But you believe it." She believed in Itachi wholeheartedly and that she was doing the right thing.

She nodded, finding it increasingly harder to keep her former teacher's gaze. The emotions she found there weren't anything she ever thought she'd need to face. But she was, for him, she was facing everything she knew and loved.

Tsunade sighed. "Then it's not my place to stop you."

* * *

479. Bored (Itachi)

Shoe shopping, he realized, was possibly the most mind numbing activity possible, right next to clothing shopping. Though, in part, it was probably because he was stuck sitting on a bench as she tried out shoe after shoe, always finding another that was either cute or adorable. When he'd volunteered to go shopping with her, he didn't realize that his normally-tomboy girlfriend meant shoe shopping for hours.

It had gotten to the point where he was willing to simply grab a box and drag her to the cash register so they could leave.

He almost thought about changing his mind when she approached, modeling a pair of black kitten heels. Almost.

Then he quickly decided those heels would be perfect, and they should be going.

* * *

480. Writer's Choice (Itachi)

An amused smile slid onto his handsome features as he watched the little spitfire he'd come to know so well. Right then, she was the picture of that impression as she growled under her breath and grumbled simultaneously. Her big green eyes were full of agitation for the electronic in her hands. The green touch-screen was glitching, refusing to let her into the call log like she wanted.

He heard snatches of 'stupid phone' and 'work you stupid thing'. When he decided that she was overly frustrated to the point where it wasn't just, the glitching but her who was causing it not to respond, he took the device. Without further adieu, he exited the screen, re-entered and found what she'd been trying to get to.

She huffed and snatched her phone back. "Show off."


	25. Four Eighty One through Five Hundred

**Title:** Moments in Time

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Twenty-Five – Four-Hundred-Eighty-One through Five-Hundred

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Complete

**Summary:** 500 Short {crazy, funny, serious, angst filled, loving} moments between Itachi and Sakura.

**Word Count:** 2645

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Each skit is between 75 and 125 words.

Yep, I am officially finished with my Moments in Time drabble collection. I won't be posting any more skits for this under any circumstances, but I am still very open to requests for expanded versions of any of the five hundred. I decided to not put the gigantic list of currently requested drabbles, but for those of you who don't know, it is on my profile and it will stay on my profile until all the requests are finished and I feel I'm done with the expanded moments as well.

I hope you guys enjoyed all five hundred drabbles. And if you want to know what project I'm onto next, then visit my profile.

**Edited on:** January 16, 2011

* * *

481. Ugly (Itachi)

When she thought no one was looking, she skittered off to the side so as not to draw any attention to herself. Then she proceeded to tug up the sleeve of her shirt until her entire shoulder was visible. He swept the room, finding that no one was paying her any mind. Except for him, of course.

He carefully charted his path across the room to her, not wishing to catch anyone's attention either.

His gaze returned to the pink-haired young woman who was poking and prodding her shoulder, grimacing faintly. On her shoulder was a swelled bruise that seemed to still be turning a different, darker color despite its already deep purple pigmentation.

He frowned at the sight; she had been reckless again.

* * *

482. Delightful (Sakura)

She cleared her throat, mentally rolling her eyes as she did, took a deep breath, and pasted a large smile on her features. "Oh wow! I can't believe this, how…delightful." And she managed to sound one hundred percent fake, not to mention over the top.

The man standing opposite her narrowed his eyes into a look of warning. She'd been on the receiving end of it so many times now, it barely fazed her and she gave him a bored shrug.

"Sorry Itachi, I'm just not up to this."

A frown twitched at his lips. "What is so hard about being social?"

"Nothing. They just happen to be a bunch of stuck-up assholes is all."

"Then be coordinal at least."

She grinned.

* * *

483. Never (Itachi)

Life had taught him that there was no such thing as 'never' or 'impossible' but situations and circumstances taught him there might as well be. Because of who he was, how he'd been raised, there were some thingg that he would never be able to have no matter how much he wanted them.

He wanted his family; he wanted to stop feeling like a failed son, and he wanted his little brother not to hate him. But he wasn't able to have those things, not ever.

However, some things he shouldn't have were well within his possession. He woke up every morning to her curled into him, her breath soft and body relaxed.

She was one of the few 'never's that he ended up having.

* * *

484. Sensual (Sakura)

They were insane, the whole lot of them. It was one thing for Tsunade to order them to retrieve Uchiha Itachi alive; it was another to limit them to the fact that he had to do so willingly.

An impossible task to say the least, but one that had to be done for some reason the Hokage hadn't divulged.

To make matters worse, all three of her boys decided the best way to go about it was to lure Itachi into it. And they intended to use her as the bait. They were working off the idea that Itachi was male and Sakura could be seductive if she tried.

So where did that leave her? Seducing Uchiha Itachi into coming back to Konoha with her.

* * *

485. Jittery (Itachi)

The act itself was inconspicuous at best and barely worth noting at worst, but it didn't escape his attention all the same. It was duly noted and categorized every time it manifested itself. Each time it appeared, it coincided with anxiety. Because he knew from experience that Sakura fidgeted when she was anxious for any reason.

As a teenager, that meant she had term papers and exam dates to worry over. Her college years showed much the same reasoning, along with juggling work and family so she didn't go into debt. Now, it simply meant something was weighing heavily on her mind.

Considering the situation, he knew that this particular anxiety was related to the dead body on her table.

* * *

486. Bad Deed (Sakura)

"Saku-chan…I think you got scammed." The two almost-siblings looked up at the huge house that was nothing like it looked in the pictures.

The pictures must have been taken before the owners let this place go to hell, almost literally; no wonder it was so cheap to buy off the market. She was there for a reason and it wasn't the promise of the house.

And that reason was because of the demon who lived here; he had relocated after her run-in with him when she was a teenager. He asked back then if she would come live with him when she was old enough, so here she was.

So it was a fixer-upper. At least it had cliff-beach property and a lot of acres.

* * *

487. Drugs (Itachi)

Dark eyes were unblinking as he tried to remain as still as possible while the nurse poked and prodded. He could feel nothing but the innate sense that she was close because she had used morphine to completely numb his body. He'd refused to be sedated so she had settled for taking away any possible pain as she fixed whatever problems his illness had caused him.

When she'd first checked out the damage with nothing but chakra, she'd winced and refused to tell him more than the fact that it didn't look good.

But here she was hell bent on healing all the damage his body had suffered because she wouldn't let him die of his illness. So he would remain still and pliant for her, just because she cared.

* * *

488. Everyday (Sakura)

Sakura hated psychologists, especially ones that spent their life dedicated crime fighting. They always seemed to know when something was wrong, mostly when she _didn't_ want them to know. Usually it was the little things, she knew, the ones she couldn't fake well enough to fool them.

She paused and looked over the bullpen, seeing all of her colleagues just beginning their day. It was a common sight, one that was usually comforting to her. But with the horrible way her day had been going on top of an already worsening week, she would rather go home.

And of course, that day would be the first day that her team noticed. She wasn't sure whether to be happy or not that they didn't notice beforehand.

* * *

489. Suck (Itachi)

When he entered her apartment, the scene he was presented with was entirely domestic. As a wanted criminal, he'd never had the time, let alone need, to attend to house chores. Even when he was younger he didn't see his mother do anything other than dishes.

Although Sakura did have carpet floors and it seemed that vacuuming was the best way to clean them.

He paused in the doorway, simply watching as she pulled the machine to and fro, oblivious to his presence. There was a good reason as to why he sought her out, but right then he found himself drawn in by the sight.

After a few more minutes, she turned off the vacuum. He took that as his cue to approach.

* * *

490. Succeed (Sakura)

She grinned. "Ha! I knew I'd get this darn thing to work." She then proceeded to dance around happily, and consequently, very ungracefully. At the moment though, she couldn't really care less what she looked liked.

The fact of the matter was her computer was no longer crashed and unusable. That meant she could get this paperwork done on time like she planned. In the end, that made her a very happy camper. Still grinning like a fool, she twirled around another time for good measure, stopping abruptly when someone caught her eye.

Across the room, standing in the door way, was her fiancé. An elegant, black eyebrow was raised and a look of pure amusement adorned his countenance. "And it only took all day."

* * *

491. Shiver (Itachi)

The cold wretched through his body, causing him to shake in a futile attempt for heat of some sort. He hated the cold; it left an unpleasant sensation of numb skin long after warmth had been reintroduced. But this cold, he knew, wasn't going away any time soon.

He shut his eyes in a futile attempt to think of other matters that needed his attention. The cold wasn't so easily forgotten though, and he found himself constantly straying back to it. Until there was something hot, almost scalding pressed against his back. Arms curled around his neck and legs outlined his own, with them a delicious warmth that forced the cold to recede.

Hot breath puffed against his ear. "Would you like a heater?"

* * *

492. Bronze (Sakura)

With a contemplative frown, she scratched at the metal. Beneath the golden color was a copper one, any lingering confusion was traded for indignation and aggravation.

He'd lied to her. He had right out lied straight to her face.

Green eyes narrowed and she yanked the bracelet off her wrist to further scrape at the plated metal. The bracelet itself wasn't a simple chain, but a inch-thick band. And the more gold she peeled off, the more she was able to see the intricate design on the bronze metal beneath.

When she finally cleared away enough, she realized just why he had lied to her.

* * *

493. Teach (Itachi)

Itachi realized two things: Sakura never had a willing teacher, and it was because she was too headstrong to deal with long enough to teach her anything. But she had more than enough potential to go far, and that was more than worth putting up with her stubborn tendencies.

Having a grouchy and prideful little brother had taught him how to be just _that_ much more stubborn, or at least to have a hell of a lot of patience.

Of course, the other half of the battle was that she wasn't just stubborn, she was easily distracted. And right then, she was more interested in the fact that she had burned her tongue on hot tea directly after he had warned her it was hot. For the second time.

* * *

494. Arrest (Sakura)

"Ow," she muttered under her breath. Saying it loud enough for him to hear would just cause her more problems, such as tighter cuffs or more unnecessary roughness. Besides, she was fairly certain he wouldn't be very understanding of the fact that she was framed.

Of course, he hadn't exactly listened when she'd tried to explain that to him beforehand. She winced in pain as he roughly shoved her in the car. "Itachi-"

Under normal circumstances, being friends with a cop who was very good at what he did would be good thing.

He slammed the door shut on her face.

But his unflappable nature was definitely doing more harm.

* * *

495. "It's Over" (Itachi)

She went quiet, and he instinctively knew that he wasn't going to like what came next. After all, when Sakura was infuriated, she was vocal and just plain loud. "You're right, Itachi. We are different, too different. So, I guess it's over."

In a flash, he covered the distance between them and grabbed her shoulders in a grip that demanded she pay him heed. Without missing a beat, he locked gazes with her as he leaned down close enough to be in her personal space. "When we started this, we agreed there would be no end."

She looked right back. "We also agreed to be there for each other. _Always_."

* * *

496. Twice (Sakura)

There was no way in hell she was going to attempt escaping again. The first and only time she'd tried getting away from Itachi, she'd found herself all but chained to his bed and not completely sure whether she regretted trying to run in the first place.

So even when the opportunity presented itself, she stayed put and did as she was told. Granted, Itachi wasn't exactly watching her like a hawk anymore. And when he did, it had nothing to do with making sure she didn't run.

Kisame threw her a grin. "Not gonna try it, huh?"

She curled up against Itachi in response.

* * *

497. Under Estimate (Itachi)

Itachi didn't make a habit of under estimating his opponents; doing so could prove to be a fatal mistake that could have been avoided. However, she wasn't his opponent and they weren't trying to kill each other.

But he had little doubt that it was a challenge of sorts, one that had evolved into an unorthodox game. Unlike most competitions he found himself in, this one hadn't started with trying to one-up each other, but to build off each other in a certain way.

She had yet to cease surprising him, but this one just took the cake. He watched intently as she backed up a few inches to be able to see him clearly once more.

* * *

498. Over Estimate (Sakura)

It was a simple mistake really, and it was only made because she didn't count on one simple fact. She didn't even consider that there was a possibility being open to love or that her heart would choose him of all people. But that fact remained the pure and simple truth.

She shifted in her seat in the windowsill, no longer comfortable because the chakra wire around her ankle wouldn't let her move any farther away. Sakura thought about retreating to their bed where he was sound asleep.

She hadn't finished her cup of coffee though or reconciled her feelings to herself, so she didn't budge any further.

* * *

499. Strong (Itachi)

Periodically, he would wonder what strength meant, and with the passage of time the would change. Throughout his childhood, he thought it to be purely physical. After the massacre of his family, he thought it meant doing what needed to be done no matter the cost. Years of being a wanted criminal and working for Akatsuki had changed his mind to think it was an idea that didn't needed to be proven to be present.

When she stirred up his life, he decided it was all of those things and that strength was a concept which changed depending on circumstances.

* * *

500. Writer's Choice (Sakura)

In the end, she realized that throughout all the lessons and experiences she had undertaken, there was only one thing that truly mattered. To learn all the things she had and to experience everything she had, there was one simple prerequisite:

She had to be alive.

She had to want to live and learn; to hold tightly to what she had. She learned to savor every moment she was given and keep her precious people close to her heart.

Because it was those same precious people who had taught her this one lesson. But he had forced her to realize it when he had made room in her life as well as her heart.

He was dying, and only a dying man who had lost everything would understand that life was worth every breath.


End file.
